Chantelle Capicciotti
Uncovering the Mystery of Glycans
All cells are covered in a "sugar coating" that is composed of complex carbohydrates called glycans. However, there is a limited understanding of their specific structures and functions, hindering essential knowledge on the critical roles glycans play in human health and disease. As the Canada Research Chair in Chemical Biology, Dr. Chantelle Capicciotti is at the forefront of glycan research, seeking to uncover the efficient synthesis methods and chemical tools for studying glycans and their interactions with proteins within cellular environments, and using this knowledge to develop glycan-based therapeutics to treat disease.
Dr. Capicciotti鈥檚 interdisciplinary approach integrates advanced chemical synthesis techniques with biochemical and cellular assays, aiming to develop novel tools and strategies that shed light on the roles of glycans in health and disease. Her research is guided by three primary objectives: first, to innovate chemical and enzymatic synthesis methods that streamline the preparation of complex glycan structures, thereby facilitating their study in biological systems; second, to pioneer new chemical biology tools that enable precise investigation of glycan interactions with proteins in cells, which is crucial for understanding their roles in cellular signaling and disease pathways; and third, to design glycan-based molecules for targeted therapeutics, particularly in oncology, with the goal of improving treatment efficacy and developing new therapeutic modalities. Dr. Capicciotti鈥檚 research will provide a deeper understanding of these important biomolecules, essential to answering fundamental questions in cellular biology and developing more effective medicines to treat disease.