{"id":7094,"date":"2016-10-06T15:51:55","date_gmt":"2016-10-06T21:51:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/canadianglycomics.ca\/?p=7094"},"modified":"2019-07-31T16:05:51","modified_gmt":"2019-07-31T22:05:51","slug":"glyconet-scientist-wins-mclean-award-for-his-sweet-science","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/canadianglycomics.ca\/fr\/glyconet-scientist-wins-mclean-award-for-his-sweet-science\/","title":{"rendered":"GlycoNet scientist wins McLean Award for his \u2018sweet\u2019 science"},"content":{"rendered":"
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By Jennifer Robinson<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Sugar has a bad rap. To most of us, it represents empty calories and a constant battle for the waistlines of the nation. Lost in that narrative is the fact sugars are part of the basic building blocks of life and hold unlimited promise, says [GlycoNet scientist<\/strong>\u00a0and] University of Toronto\u00a0organic chemist\u00a0Mark Taylor<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Studying oligosaccharides, for example, helps scientists understand how our cells recognize and interact with each other, and with pathogens. Chemical reactions that create oligosaccharides in the lab provide ways to probe or perturb these interactions, and could lead to the creation of future life-saving drugs. Sugars also hold promise as an alternative ingredient to make environmentally friendly polymers, replacing harmful petrochemicals in everyday plastics and resins.<\/p>\n

\u201cSugars have a type of complexity that isn\u2019t present in the molecules that make up proteins and DNA,\u201d explains Taylor, the recipient of this year\u2019s McLean Award. \u201cSugars can be connected to each other in different ways . . . and a change in their structure, changes their activity.\u201d<\/p>\n

The McLean Endowment, the result of $1-million gift to the university from alumnus Mr.\u00a0William F. McLean<\/strong>\u00a0two decades ago, is designed to support the work of an outstanding early career researcher in physics, chemistry, computer science, mathematics, engineering sciences, or the theory and methods of statistics.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m very grateful and surprised to be the recipient of the McLean,\u201d Taylor says, adding he thinks it\u2019s important U of T has a prize that rewards people like him conducting basic science research.<\/p>\n

With the university since 2007, Taylor is an associate professor and Canada Research Chair in the department of chemistry where he leads the 12-member Taylor Group, which focuses on synthetic methodology, and molecular recognition and chemical sensing in their campus lab at Lash Miller Chemical Laboratories.<\/p>\n

He plans on using the $125,000 award, administered by\u00a0the university\u2019s Connaught Committee<\/a>, to hire more graduate students to continue this work. Taylor\u2019s ability to attract and train young scientists was one of the reasons the external review committee presented him with the award.<\/p>\n

\u201cI really enjoy working with graduate students,\u201d says Taylor who did his undergraduate degree at U of T. \u201cI think one of the most enduring legacies of any researcher is in the people they train.\u201d<\/p>\n

The panel was also deeply impressed by the potential global impact of where his research is headed: \u201cTaylor is on the right curve to make a mark in organic chemistry in Canada and to become a leader in his age group on the international stage,\u201d remarked one of the prize committee reviewers.<\/p>\n

Their praise was echoed by\u00a0Vivek Goel<\/strong>, U of T\u2019s vice-president of research and innovation.<\/p>\n

\u201cProfessor Mark Taylor is an excellent choice for this year\u2019s McLean Award,\u201d Goel said. \u201cHe is joining the ranks of 21 other distinguished University of Toronto faculty who have received the McLean to help pursue important research advances in select physical science fields and to train future scientific leaders.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Jennifer Robinson Sugar has a bad rap. To most of us, it represents empty calories and a constant battle for the waistlines of the nation. Lost in that narrative is the fact sugars are part of the basic building blocks of life and hold unlimited promise, says [GlycoNet scientist\u00a0and] University of Toronto\u00a0organic chemist\u00a0Mark Taylor. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":11637,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[201],"tags":[41,42],"class_list":["post-7094","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-awards","tag-mark-taylor","tag-mclean-award","wpbf-post"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t