New Glycobiology Web Site Launched

A new Web site has been launched by the UC Davis Functional Glycobiology Program, an integrative, multi-disciplinary program that brings together experts from a variety of disciplines including food science, nutrition, chemistry and microbiology.

Glycobiology is a new field in the life sciences that combines expertise in carbohydrate biology, analytical chemistry and molecular biology. The campus program in functional glycobiology was established to translate breakthroughs in the structure-function relationships of bioactive glycosilated ingredients in human milk into products to improve human health. The first success of the program is a novel prebiotic-probiotic treatment currently being tested for its clinical effectiveness. The NIH-funded clinical trial involves feeding premature infants various oligosaccharides (prebiotics) and their corresponding bacteria (probiotics) to observe their impact on intestinal microflora as well as infant growth, resistance to disease and overall health.

The new Web site at http://fgp.ucdavis.edu describes the program and its affiliates, as well as links to affiliated projects, programs, institutions and funding agencies.

Program coordinators expect the site to generate new collaborations with researchers in numerous fields including analytical and synthetic chemistry, microbiology, gastro-intestinal physiology, animal science, systems biology and metabolism, internal and clinical medicine, bio-engineering, and physics. 

More information about the new program and Web site can be obtained by contacting Angela Zivkovic, the program’s director of scientific and business development, at (530) 752-1486 or amzivkovic@ucdavis.edu.