Annual Meeting

Carbohydrates for life, health and diseases

A Discover BMB symposium: Frontiers in Carbohydrate Synthesis and Recognition
Catherine Grimes Xi Chen
By Catherine Grimes and Xi Chen
Sept. 27, 2022

What molecules determine human ABO blood groups? What do influenza viruses grab when they infect a human? What define the serotypes of bacterial species? What are the most diverse protein post-translational modifications? The answer to all of these questions is “carbohydrates.”

Indeed, carbohydrates are indispensable biomolecules and components that are essential for life. They are key recognition components of many biological and pathological events. Synthesizing glycans and understanding the roles of carbohydrates used to be daunting tasks but, thanks to recent progress, have become easier.

The exciting talks in our symposium at Discover BMB, the annual meeting of the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, which will be held in March in Seattle, will present recent advances made on several fronts: glycan synthesis, tools developed, chemical biology, and the roles and the applications of carbohydrates in health and diseases.

The topics include human and bacterial glycans, biocatalysis, chemoenzymatic synthesis, glycomics, glycoproteomics, anti-glycan antibodies and the roles and applications in learning, memory and treatment of adult diseases.

We aim to engage aficionados as well as those interested in learning more about how to implement these approaches in their own research.  

Keywords: Biocatalysis, carbohydrates, glycans, glycoscience, synthesis, recognition.

Who should attend: Anyone interested in the recent advances in the synthesis, roles and applications of glycans and glycoconjugates.

Theme song: “Watermelon Sugar” by Harry Styles.

This session is powered by a sugar rush.

Speakers

Synthesis of glycans for exploring their role in health and disease
Xi Chen (chair), University of California, Davis
Catherine L. GrimesUniversity of Delaware
Rita Gerardy–SchahnHannover Medical School
Steven D. TownsendVanderbilt University
Jerry TroutmanUniversity of North Carolina at Charlotte

Chemical glycobiology and tools for glycoscience
Catherine Grimes (chair), University of Delaware
Mireille KamarizaHarvard University
Jeff GildersleeveNational Cancer Institute
Lingjun LiUniversity of Wisconsin
Tania LupoliNew York University

Carbohydrate biocatalysts and glycan-binding probes/materials
Catherine Grimes (chair), University of Delaware
Xi ChenUniversity of California, Davis
Barbara ImperialiMassachuetts Institute of Technology
Kelley MoremenUniversity of Georgia
Vered Padler–KaravaniTel Aviv University

Enjoy reading ASBMB Today?

Become a member to receive the print edition four times a year and the digital edition monthly.

Learn more
Catherine Grimes
Catherine Grimes

Catherine Grimes is an assistant professor of chemistry and biochemistry at the University of Delaware.

Xi Chen
Xi Chen

Xi Chen is a professor at the University of California, Davis.

Get the latest from ASBMB Today

Enter your email address, and we’ll send you a weekly email with recent articles, interviews and more.

Latest in Science

Science highlights or most popular articles

Cholesterol as a novel biomarker for Fragile X syndrome
Journal News

Cholesterol as a novel biomarker for Fragile X syndrome

Nov. 28, 2025

Researchers in Quebec identified lower levels of a brain cholesterol metabolite, 24-hydroxycholesterol, in patients with fragile X syndrome, a finding that could provide a simple blood-based biomarker for understanding and managing the condition.

How lipid metabolism shapes sperm development
Journal News

How lipid metabolism shapes sperm development

Nov. 26, 2025

Researchers at Hokkaido University identify the enzyme behind a key lipid in sperm development. The findings reveal how seminolipids shape sperm formation and may inform future diagnostics and treatments for male infertility.

Mass spec method captures proteins in native membranes
Journal News

Mass spec method captures proteins in native membranes

Nov. 25, 2025

Yale scientists developed a mass spec protocol that keeps proteins in their native environment, detects intact protein complexes and tracks drug binding, offering a clearer view of membrane biology.

Laser-assisted cryoEM method preserves protein structure
Journal News

Laser-assisted cryoEM method preserves protein structure

Nov. 25, 2025

University of Wisconsin–Madison researchers devised a method that prevents protein compaction during cryoEM prep, restoring natural structure for mass spec studies. The approach could expand high-resolution imaging to more complex protein systems.

Method sharpens proteome-wide view of structural changes
Journal News

Method sharpens proteome-wide view of structural changes

Nov. 25, 2025

Researchers developed a method that improves limited proteolysis coupled with mass spectrometry, separating true changes from abundance or splicing effects.

Discoveries made possible by DNA
Feature

Discoveries made possible by DNA

Nov. 24, 2025

The discovery of DNA’s double helix revealed how genetic information is stored, copied and expressed. Revisit that breakthrough and traces how it laid the foundation for modern molecular biology, genomics and biotechnology.