Generating solutions

Glycomics is the science of glycans (sugars) in biology. In all living things, glycans are vital to biological processes. Glycans are extremely valuable across a multitude of commercial applications in health, agriculture and bio-based industries. The global market for glycomics therapeutics alone is projected to grow to US$257 billion by 2028.

GlycoNet Integrated Services (GIS) was launched with the vision of becoming the world’s leading glycomics service provider. With a recent investment of C$10.7 million from the Canada Foundation for Innovation Major Science Initiatives, GIS is mobilizing Canadian glycomics tools and expertise to equip glycomics researchers and partners with the synthetic, analytical and high-throughput screening tools to undertake transformative glycomics research and innovation.

To maintain Canada’s leadership in glycomics, GIS is dedicated to continually expanding its suite of glycomics services. With Genome Canada TechDev funding, GIS will develop and expand glycomics services to include:

• A curated database of glycan-protein interactions that integrates “omics” datasets and biological interactions to enhance drug development using AI and machine learning.
• Novel imaging tools for spatial visualization of glycan structures within living tissues and cells.
• Enhanced domestic enzyme production capacity to enable glycan analysis in support of One Health objectives.
• New cell lines and animal models to acquire glycomics data directly relevant to human biology.

These services will address glycomics unmet needs, increase the number of GIS users, and industry partnerships, support the growth of Canadian glycomics companies, expand the application of glycomics to One Health, and ensure a cutting-edge biomanufacturing and life sciences sector in Canada.