Carbohydrates are critical in a myriad of important biological processes including intra-cellular communication, inflammation and bacterial and viral infections. Despite mounting evidence for the impact of glycosylation in modern biology, in vivo functional studies of these posttranslational modifications are not readily carried out. This is in part due to a lack of the appropriate tools. Our laboratory merges chemistry and biology to create new methods for the study of glycosylation. These include the creation and utilization of new probes for glycosylation, cellular sensors and array technologies. We focus on three major areas of interest: 1. Creation of tools for the study of beta-O-N-acetyl-D-glucosamine function, a cytosolic carbohydrate modification analogous to phosphorylation. 2. Invention of novel tools and methods for the profiling of cell-surface carbohydrate compositions. And 3. Application of bioinformatic and systems-based approaches to understanding the role of carbohydrates in metastasis and bacterial pathogenesis.

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