Artwork by Takashi Angata
The Glycobiology Research and Training Center (GRTC) is an internationally recognized Organized Research Unit (ORU) at UC San Diego with a 19-year track record of facilitating and enhancing research, training and collaboration among researchers who study the molecular and cellular biology of glycans and their roles in health and disease. The Core GRTC faculty actively manage research laboratories where graduate students and postdoctoral scholars explore questions about human health, evolution and energy in the search for potentially life-changing answers. While the headquarters and leadership of the GRTC are at UC San Diego, GRTC
members include faculty from academic institutions throughout California, with a vast range of
research interests, creating an unparalleled network of expertise and collaboration in the field.
The Center faculty coordinate and direct several
courses and programs designed to train the next generation of glycoscience researchers and are at the forefront of efforts to expand the field, including coordinating the writing and production of the
Essentials of Glycobiology textbook, now in its fourth edition, and working with faculty worldwide to create a common
symbol nomenclature. The GRTC was one of six centers for glycoscience in the US, chosen as a
Program of Excellence in Glycosciences site in 2011, and the GRTC was selected to be the national coordination center for the PEG national consortium. In 2018 the UC San Diego GRTC was selected as one of four
NHLBI K12 Career Development Programs as well as the designated national administrative coordination center for the consortium.
The annual membership gathering, the San Diego Glycobiology Symposium, provides an informal venue for researchers to further collaborations, learn about other research in the field, and exchange information about the latest advances and technology.