Why a Glycophysics network ?

The lack of carbohydrate oriented analytical tools is identified as a bottleneck hindering the full development of glycosciences. Recent innovations in molecular physics already have the potential to offer promising solutions. However, physical tools often take decades to spread in other disciplines. The case of DNA is striking: it was first isolated in 1869 and X-rays were discovered in 1895, but it took an other 50 years to measure XRay diffraction of DNA.

The glycophysics network was created to establish strong connections between molecular physics and glycosciences. The goal is to identify the needs and opportunities in both communities, to facilitate interdisciplinary collaborations and to expedite the integration of novel physical tools into glycosciences.