Category: Research Highlight

GlycoNet researchers found ways to produce Montbretin A in large quantities using metabolic engineering.

GlycoNet Researchers identify a possible target in the prevention and treatment of bacterial infections.

GlycoNet researchers develop hybrid enzyme to unlock the potential of enzyme replacement therapy

Keeping the gut microbiota, the micro-organisms living in our intestines, in balance is important in preventing disease.A GlycoNet-funded project is looking at using glycans (sugars) to restore an imbalance that occurs in patients suffering from inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

UAlberta professor Todd Lowary in the Department of Chemistry is a collaborator in the development of the new test.An innovative urine test can detect tuberculosis in people living with HIV earlier and more quickly than ever before, according to an announcement earlier this week.Tuberculosis kills millions around the world every year, and is the leading cause of death for people living with HIV. The new urine test, developed in part by University of Alberta researchers, will improve the speed and accuracy of diagnosis, providing earlier treatment and improving health outcomes.

Source: Reprinted with permission from the University of British Columbia, Faculty of Science. For blood transfusions to be safe, the donor and patient blood types must match. Now researchers at the University of British Columbia have identified a new, more powerful group of enzymes that can turn any type of blood into the universally usable […]

Discovery of the biosynthetic pathway of a plant metabolite lays the groundwork for its use as an anti-diabetes drug July 2, 2018 Roughly half of the western medicines used today were derived from naturally occurring plant metabolites. Plants produce over 200,000 of these specialized metabolites, but identifying medicinally useful ones is challenging, and obtaining sufficient […]

The power and promise of carbohydrate moleculesFor anyone who has suffered from kidney stones, the painful condition is not easily treatable, and patients are typically prescribed strong pain medication and fluids to alleviate symptoms. More stubborn stones can require surgery.GlycoNet-funded research is testing the safety and efficacy of a glycoside, called arbutin, which is extracted from the bearberry plant. The molecule has shown a remarkable ability to break up kidney stones in pre-clinical studies.

GlycoNet funds project to produce fucosylation inhibitor for cancer therapies      by Bernie Poitras Dr. Robert Britton firmly believes every molecule is important. This chemist doesn’t want any molecule sitting unused on a laboratory shelf or in a fridge. “I want every molecule to have a purpose – that’s my ethos for our lab,” says […]

Precise blood test could prevent unnecessary cancer treatment