GlycoNet invests $1.6 million to further glycomics research

Funds will contribute to studying an array of human diseases

EDMONTON (November 22, 2016) – The Canadian Glycomics Network (GlycoNet) today announced its second round of Catalyst and Collaborative grants totalling nearly $1.6 million.

Earlier this year, GlycoNet invited applications for multidisciplinary research from across the country. After a rigorous review process, 11 projects were selected and awarded almost $1.6 million for the duration of one to two years. GlycoNet dedicated over $400,000 in Catalyst grants to six early stage projects and over $1.1 million to more advanced projects via Collaborative grants which were matched at least on a 1:1 ratio with funding from industry, foundations and other institutions. With this new contribution, GlycoNet has committed to date over $11.5 million towards 40 glycomics research projects.

“These grants represent our continued efforts to attract scientists with diverse and complementary expertise, as well as industry collaborators, to develop effective drugs, diagnostics and treatments for human illnesses,” says GlycoNet Scientific Director, Dr. Todd Lowary. “Projects like these hold great promise for advancing the field of glycomics and we’re increasingly confident that they will lead to new breakthroughs.”

Since its inception in February 2015, GlycoNet has recruited some of the brightest scientific minds in the field of glycomics to accelerate the process of translating scientific discoveries into tangible applications for human health. The latest grants will support research on an array of diseases, such as developing strategies for treating periodontal disease, improving the accuracy of diagnosing prostate cancer, developing immune tolerance to organ transplantation and exploring therapies for human lysosomal storage diseases and other rare genetic diseases.

“By pushing the boundaries of glycomics research and partnering with clinicians and translational experts, GlycoNet scientists are providing the insights needed to produce novel technologies and therapies for human diseases, many of which have little, or no, treatment options,” adds Dr. Lowary. “These nationwide projects are intended to support the much-needed research in one of the fastest-growing segments of the biopharmaceutical industry.”

GlycoNet is a pan-Canadian initiative connecting more than 100 researchers in 26 academic and research institutions, as well as numerous industry and international partners, who collaborate to solve the unmet health needs of Canadians through the study of glycomics. Funded by the federal government through the Networks of Centres of Excellence (NCE), GlycoNet’s research program focuses on examining the effects of carbohydrates on biological systems in relation to five themes: antimicrobials, chronic diseases, diabetes and obesity, rare genetic diseases and therapeutic proteins and vaccines.

In addition to funding, GlycoNet facilitates partnerships between researchers and industry while providing access to core services, business development resources, training initiatives and intellectual property protection.

Detailed summaries of the latest projects are available at http://canadianglycomics.ca/projects/.

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