Hirschberg’s Glycosylation Mechanisms Grant Renewed

Dr. Carlos Hirschberg, chair of the Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, recently learned of the renewal of his grant “Glycosylation Mechanisms” by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS), National Institutes of Health (NIH). The renewal marks 32 years of uninterrupted funding for the grant.

The grant has earned MERIT (Method to extend research in time) status for 10 years, the maximum amount possible. NIGMS awards this status to grants that have scored in the top 10 percent in three successive renewal cycles.

As part of this research, Hirschberg and coworkers discovered a group of transporter proteins that bring building blocks, called nucleotide sugars, to the cells. In the cells, the sugars are added to cellular proteins known as glycoproteins. The proteins may serve as antibodies or virus receptors.

The group is currently studying how such transporters affect  tissue development. Diseases in these transporters have been described in humans, where they are rare, and in Holstein cows.