The overarching aim of the Sweet Crosstalk ITN is to understand, at a molecular and structural level, how glycans and glycoconjugates are involved in homeostasis and dysbiosis at the human mucosa–microbiota interface, and how this correlates with human health and disease. We have an an ambitious research program with optimal synergy between chemistry and biology research groups to get a molecular-level grip on the role of these glycocodes and their interacting proteins.
Our research objectives focus on three topics that each have an associated scientific work package (WP 1-3):
- Mucosal Glycocodes: Understanding O-glycan dynamics, structure and interacting proteins, at the molecular-level in human mucosa and its consumption & recognition by gut microbiota (WP1)
- Microbial Glycocodes: Dissect the composition, structures and conformations of gut microbial cell envelope glycans, their dynamics and binding partners (WP2)
- Health & Disease Glycocodes: Link mucosal & microbial glycan dynamics to the human immune system & the pathophysiology of inflammation, Gut-Brain axis and metabolic disorders (WP3)
