New complex carbohydrate research centre launched in South Australia

A new comprehensive facility for the analysis of complex carbohydrates (glycans) has been established in South Australia.

Launched in collaboration between the University of Adelaide and Agilent Technologies, the new Adelaide Glycomics research laboratory will explore the potential benefits of glycans.

The new research centre is located at the university’s Waite campus and will be the first of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere. It will also feature cutting edge research technologies in the field of glycoscience.

Adelaide Glycomics director Vincent Bulone said: “We want to turn this into the centre of gravity for carbohydrate analysis in the southern hemisphere and we already have a lot of international collaboration from industry to do a lot of applied research with high potential in a whole range of sectors and industries.

“Carbohydrates are the most abundant molecules on earth but almost the most complex and heterogeneous.

“We cannot control very easily the properties of the application products we develop and to do this, we need to understand the structure and biological properties; with this facility, we will be able to do that.”

Adelaide Glycomics will serve as a hub for national and international collaboration in the field of complex carbohydrates across multiple industries. Carbohydrates are a type of nutrient, which is the most important source of energy in the human body.

Bulone added: “You can use carbohydrates as a metric and modify them with biomolecules that can be used as sensors. You can use them to couple as protein receptors for sensing pollutants that bind to proteins in polluted water.”

The research centre will explore new texturing agents for food, creating bioplastics, and new drug delivery systems. It will also focus on controlling the composition and quality of wines, producing hair gels and cosmetics, as well as developing biosensors.