Glycoscience – the biology and chemistry of carbohydrates – is a key activity on the Norwich Research Park. Over 30 research groups contribute to multidisciplinary programmes that range from investigation of the maintenance of a healthy gut microbe population to studies on the biosynthesis and degradation of starch and plant cell walls. Other projects are directed at understanding the biosynthesis of glycosylated plant and microbial secondary metabolites and the design and development of inhibitors of carbohydrate-active enzymes. The potential to translate from fundamental understanding to application is at the core of all of these programmes, whether in the context of diet-and-health, renewable feed-stocks for biofuel production, or drug discovery.

In contrast to nucleic acids and proteins, oligosaccharide structures are not directly template-encoded (one cannot read gene sequence and predict carbohydrate structure) and there is currently no carbohydrate equivalent of PCR or site-directed mutagenesis, and automated chemical synthesis is still in its infancy. In tandem with addressing biological problems per se, NRP glycoscience therefore also embraces the development and application of techniques and methodologies with which to synthesize and analyse bioactive carbohydrates, and their interaction with proteins, microorganisms and host cells.

For a full description of Glycoscience in Norwich we direct you to the links on the left to research themes on the Norwich Research Park.