Journal of Glycobiology
Open Access
ISSN: 2168-958X
ISSN: 2168-958X
Rachel Chen
Georgia Institute of Technology, USA
Keynote: J Glycobiol
As one of the four building blocks of life, sugar molecules permeate almost all aspects of life. They are also unique in being intimately associated with all major types of biopolymers (including DNA/RNA, proteins, lipids) meanwhile they stand alone as bioactive polysaccharides, or free soluble oligosaccharides. The widespread occurrence of glycosylation and its broad impact in biological processes underscores the importance of studying glycosylation. To study glycans and probe their roles in a biological system significant amount of pure molecules are needed. Besides basic research, there are a wide range of opportunities of utilizing oligosaccharides, polysaccharides, and glycoproteins and other glycoconjugates for diagnosis, vaccine development, as new drug entities, and many other medical applications. Unfortunately, these potential applications are all impeded by the lack of large scale synthesis technology for these molecules. Metabolic engineering, since its inception in late 80��?s, has grown to be a field impactful in the synthesis of a variety of molecules of commercial and societal importance. Opportunities abound at the interface of glycosciences and metabolic engineering. In fact, all sugar moieties in biological components, small or big, free or bound are important targets for metabolic engineering. Over the past decades, its use in the synthesis of sugar-containing molecules has gained significance. In this presentation, metabolic engineering challenges common to glycosyltransferase-catalyzed synthesis of oligosaccharides and polysaccharides are analyzed and successful examples from Chen and other labs are showcased to emphasize the power of metabolic engineering as an enabling technology.
Rachel Chen has received her PhD from California Institute of Technology in 1994 and subsequently worked as a Research Scientist in Bristol-Myers Squibb. She began her independent academic career in Virginia Commonwealth University and continues at Georgia Institute of Technology. Her research interfaces biology, chemistry and engineering with major focuses on applying molecular engineering tools in the synthesis of molecules that are not attainable with conventional means. She has published nearly 80 peer-reviewed papers and has been serving as an Associate Editor for Microbial Cell Factories and on Editorial Boards of AIMS Bioengineering and AIMS Microbiology.
Email: rachel.chen@chbe.gatech.edu