Professor Bruce Turnbull CChem FRSC
We know enough about chemistry itself that the most exciting discoveries and developments are going to come at the interface with other subjects.
The surface of every living cell is covered in a layer of complex carbohydrate structures known as the glycocalyx. The types of carbohydrates present differ from one cell type to another and can also change when healthy cells become cancerous. The glycocalyx is like a forest with long polysaccharides forming the forest’s canopy. This canopy sits above smaller tree-like glycoproteins and glycolipids – like the forest floor – which are embedded in the cell membrane. Anything approaching the cell membrane must travel through this carbohydrate forest.
Professor Turnbull’s group is interested in understanding how proteins interact with the carbohydrates of the glycocalyx ‘forest’. They are investigating methods to re-engineer the carbohydrate-binding proteins and the sugars they recognise for applications in diagnosing disease and targeting drugs to specific cell types.
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