Weiss

Glycosylation plays a variety of roles in basic biological processes, and alterations in these carbohydrate structures contribute to many human diseases. The mammalian glycome contains extensive structural and functional heterogeneity that can vary temporally and spatially during development and in different tissues and disease states. However, regulation of the assembly of these ubiquitous, non-template driven post-translational modifications is currently poorly understood. Research in the Weiss Laboratory aims to identify the molecular mechanisms responsible for regulation of glycosylation in mammalian cells. In particular, we are focused on identifying the transcriptional and epigenetic programs responsible for temporal and spatial control of glycosylation using genome-wide, molecular, and genetic approaches. Our ultimate goal is to utilize these discoveries to identify novel drugs and drug targets for treatment of relevant human diseases.