This year marks the 20th Anniversary of the Institute for Glycomics. To celebrate we explore what the research of glycomics is and why it is important to us both as individuals and as a global community. 

The sugar language in our body 

Every cell in our body is decorated with sugars which are essential to our health and wellbeing. Glycomics is the study of this sugar ‘language’ within our body, referred to as the glycome. Unfortunately, this sugar language can also be used negatively by our body resulting in major health problems such as cancer, viral arthritis and infectious diseases.  

A primary focus of the research undertaken by the Institute for Glycomics is to discover the role that sugars play in disease and to use this knowledge to develop new diagnostics, drugs and vaccines to diagnose, treat and prevent diseases. 

Institute for Glycomics highlights 

Established in 2000, and now comprising over 200 researchers and support staff, the Institute for Glycomics is a world-leader in fighting diseases of global impact through discovery and translational science. The infographic below highlights some of the institute’s achievements. 

From inception to today  

Established 20 years ago through investment by Griffith University and the Queensland Government, The Institute for Glycomics is based at the Gold Coast campus and is now one of Australia’s flagship multidisciplinary biomedical research institutes. Over the next few months, we will be featuring interviews with some of the original scientists at the Institute for Glycomics who will take us on the journey from the Institute’s inception to it becoming a world–renowned research centre. 

Photo of Institute for Glycomics building

World-leading research 

Learn more about glycomics research through our open access research on Griffith Research Online: 

Photo of large group of staff who work for the Institute of Glycomics standing in front the Institute for Glycomics building