Glycobiology studies the biosynthesis, structure and function of oligosaccharides (aka glycans). Glycans are present in every organism and have key functions in the interactions of cells with each other, their friendly neighbours as well as their pathogenic enemies. The complexity of glycans parallels and sometimes even exceeds that of proteins and nucleic acids, which combined with their more cumbersome analytics and manipulation have long hampered their studies. Recent years have seen an explosion of both new technologies and functional insights in this interdisciplinary field, and these will be celebrated during this meeting, including talks from three most recent Biochemical Society Awardees.

Invited speakers will cover topics across glycobiology, including glycan structure and function, analytics, biotechnological and medical applications, and advanced chemical biology methods. Conference highlights include parasite glycobiology, synthetic ‘precision tools’ for in vivo glycan function, biotechnological uses of glyco-active enzymes, and cutting-edge glycan analytics.

Location: London, UK