Glycobiology

Our research explores the chemistry and biology of complex carbohydrates, with a particular focus on sulfated glycans—remarkable biomolecules that influence human health and planetary processes.

These anionic polysaccharides play critical roles in microbial pathogenesis, immune regulation, neuroinflammation, and global carbon cycling. We combine organic synthesis, chemical biology, and microbiology to answer fundamental questions about how sulfation patterns in glycans shape their function and fate. From the colonic mucus barrier to deep-sea carbon sinks, our work aims to uncover the molecular logic that governs glycan persistence, recognition, and enzymatic degradation.

Our goals are twofold

  • Ocean Carbon Cycling

    To understand how sulfated marine glycans like fucoidan resist degradation, self-assemble into marine snow, and contribute to carbon sequestration.

  • Microbial Mucin Inhibition

    To develop chemical tools and inhibitors that reveal how mucin-degrading microbes contribute to inflammatory bowel disease.

To enable these investigations, we are developing scalable synthetic platforms for sulfated oligosaccharides, activity-based probes for microbial sulfatases, and glycan-based imaging reagents. Our research combines chemistry, biomedicine, and marine microbiology, bridging ecosystems through the shared language of glycans.

We are based at Trinity College Dublin, and our work is supported by Research Ireland, etc.