Seminar:

Glycans ubiquitously exist in all organisms, forming natural biological barriers, providing energy sources, and governing molecular and cellular communications. Glycan processing enzymes, therefore, are pivotal components in various biological processes, and abnormality of these enzymes is often indicative of physiological changes related to diseases. Real-time detection or imaging of certain glycan processing enzymes opens new avenues for the studies of the biological properties and functions of these enzymes, and it also offers new ways for the development of diagnostics and therapeutics for various types of diseases. This talk will highlight our efforts in the development of molecular probes for three types of glycan processing enzymes, and their applications in biological studies and disease diagnosis using molecular imaging.