GlyCORE: Glycoscience Center of Research Excellence

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Project Summary/Abstract The University of Mississippi proposes to establish the Glycoscience Center of Research Excellence (GlyCORE), a Phase I Center of Biomedical Research Excellence. Glycoscience is an essential and rapidly emerging field of biomedical science, and the challenging nature of glycoscience research requires tools and expertise that are not commonly found in the biomedical research community. Moreover, the biomedical community is rapidly growing to appreciate the essential role of carbohydrates, with researchers outside of the self-identified “glycoscience” community finding themselves faced with addressing challenging questions in glycoscience as part of the course of their biomedical researchers. GlyCORE will develop and provide resources and expertise in glycoscience to both core glycoscience researchers as well as researchers who encounter questions in glycoscience in the course of their biomedical research programs. GlyCORE will serve researchers at both the University of Mississippi and the Mid-South community through three mechanisms: a Faculty Development program, the establishment of three Research Cores to support glycoscience research, and the establishment of local and regional meetings focusing on questions in glycoscience. GlyCORE's Faculty Development program includes the support of four Junior Investigators establishing their careers in various disciplines in glycoscience. This program includes financial support of the investigators' research efforts, a formal mentoring program, and priority subsidized access to University of Mississippi core facilities. GlyCORE will also support smaller developmental projects through a Pilot Project Program, including financial support and prioritized access to core facilities. GlyCORE's Faculty Development program will also promote recruitment of glycoscience faculty to the University of Mississippi, including the recruitment of a mid-career carbohydrate synthetic chemist to help support expanded services in GlyCORE during Phase II. GlyCORE's Research Cores will establish three new core capabilities at the University of Mississippi that are essential for modern glycoscience: an Analytical and Biophysical Core supporting high resolution chromatography and mass spectrometry analyses; an Imaging Core supporting confocal microscopy with lectin-based and anti- carbohydrate immunohistochemistry imaging; and a Computational and Bioinformatics Core supporting simulations and bioinformatics data analysis to support glycoscience and structural glycobiology. Finally, GlyCORE will establish the University of Mississippi as a regional center for glycoscience in the Mid-South. GlyCORE will host an annual Mid-South Glycoscience Meeting with subsidized access to regional participants, and will host both an annual UM Glycoscience Symposium and monthly glycoscience meetings to highlight the role of glycoscience at the University of Mississippi. Together, these efforts will establish a core of experienced and nationally competitive young faculty in glycoscience, supported by modern research infrastructure and promoted to the glycoscience community as the glycoscience destination in the Mid-South.