University of Lethbridge adjunct professors Dr. Wade Abbott of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Dr. Doug Inglis and Dr. Brent Selinger of the Department of Biological Sciences along with alumni Marshall Smith (BSc ’16, MSc ’19) and Richard Maclean (BSc ’14, MSc ’17), were recognized recently by GlycoNet, the Canadian national research network for glycomics researchers.

The group’s paper, Engineering dual-glycan responsive expression systems for tunable production of heterologous proteins in Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron, was one of 10 recognized for advancing glycomics research in the past year.

The paper delves into creating a system whereby biological devices, such as diagnostics or therapeutic delivery systems, could be activated in the gut using a dual-glycan triggering mechanism. Their paper provides proof-of-concept for engineering these systems and paves the way for future animal trials. The end goal is the future delivery of protein-based therapeutics in a more efficient, effective and timely manner.