Statement of Purpose and Goals of the OCMG

Complex carbohydrates are found in glycoproteins, glycolipids, and as glycosaminoglycans in proteoglycans, and as free sugars. They are involved in a broad range of biological recognition and regulatory phenomena, including cellular communication, gene expression, immunology, inflammation, and growth and development. In addition, many pathogens, such as viruses, bacteria, and other parasites, exploit complex carbohydrates to initiate and maintain infection of humans and animals.

The numerous researchers at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center and the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation working in the field of Glycobiology came together in the Fall of 1999 to organize a Research Center with the designation of the Oklahoma Center for Medical Glycobiology (OCMG). The OCMG was officially recognized as a center in June of 2000. The purpose of the OCMG is to address the needs of these researchers by bringing together the multidisciplinary expertise and the expensive instrumentation and resources required in this field of study. The goals of the OCMG are the following:

· To promote medical research into the structure, biosynthesis and functions of complex carbohydrates in humans and animals and their microbial and parasitic pathogens;

· To provide technical assistance and resource facilities to researchers in the State of Oklahoma and the region for the analysis and characterization of glycoconjugates and glycoconjugate-binding proteins and enzymes acting on glycoconjugates;

· To act as an information resource for new developments and opportunities in the field of Glycobiology;

· To foster professional interactions and collaborations among research scientists in the State of Oklahoma working in the field of Glycobiology or related fields;

· To assist its members in competing nationally and internationally for extramural research funding in the field of Glycobiology;

· To reach out to the community of clinicians and scientists in the State of Oklahoma who may require training, assistance or guidance in addressing problems related to the field of Glycobiology;

· To educate and train students, post-doctoral fellows and other interested scientists in the field of Glycobiology;

· To promote and publicize the burgeoning growth and progress in the field of Glycobiology by researchers and clinicians in the State of Oklahoma.