{"id":12013,"date":"2019-07-12T08:17:34","date_gmt":"2019-07-12T14:17:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/canadianglycomics.ca\/?p=12013"},"modified":"2019-08-01T11:41:12","modified_gmt":"2019-08-01T17:41:12","slug":"mid-year-update-glyconet-awards-885k-in-funding-to-seven-projects-to-foster-glycomics-research-translation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/canadianglycomics.ca\/fr\/mid-year-update-glyconet-awards-885k-in-funding-to-seven-projects-to-foster-glycomics-research-translation\/","title":{"rendered":"Mid-year update: GlycoNet awards $885K in funding to seven projects to foster glycomics research translation"},"content":{"rendered":"

Projects seek\nsolutions to health issues including heart disease, infections, cancer and\ndiabetes<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

EDMONTON, ALBERTA (Friday, July 12, 2019) \u2013  Between April 1 and June 30, 2019, the\nCanadian Glycomics Network (GlycoNet) awarded $885K in grants to support seven\nresearch projects involving 14 researchers from eight universities or research\ncenters across Canada. GlycoNet\u2019s investment was leveraged with $916K in\nfunding from private and public partners. These innovative projects share a\ncommon goal: improving the health of people from coast to coast, while\ngenerating positive economic outcomes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe projects funded this cycle show that collaboration\nbetween investigators and industry is instrumental to research translation.\nPartnerships with companies like Zucara help researchers uncover concrete\nsolutions to health issues like diabetes,\u201d says Dr.\nElizabeth Nanak, Executive Director, GlycoNet. \u201cThe projects were chosen based\non their scientific excellence and commercial potential.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s been a banner six months for glycomics research in Canada. In April, the federal government announced the creation of a new Canada Excellence Research Chair in glycomics. It will be held by Dr. Lara Mahal, who will be joining the University of Alberta, which is also home to GlycoNet\u2019s new Associate Scientific Director, Warren Wakarchuk. Several GlycoNet investigators promoted Canadian glycomics research leadership abroad, speaking at a conference in Taiwan in February. In May, scholars from Australia and Taiwan attended the Trilateral Partnership meeting which was held concurrently with the Canadian Glycomics Symposium.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Glycomics research leverages biology, chemistry, immunology, agriculture, and other disciplines of medicine and natural sciences to understand the role of glycans and carbohydrates in human and animal health. Glycans\u2014chains of sugars\u2014coat the surface of every cell in the human body. They interact with proteins and enzymes, sometimes altering their normal functions, which can lead to health issues ranging from infections, to cancers and degenerative diseases. GlycoNet investigators and their collaborators work to develop accessible, affordable and practical clinical solutions to many of these diseases. With a focus on glycomics, the projects funded in this cycle will attempt to uncover concrete solutions to pressing health needs by:<\/p>\n\n\n\n