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Announcements - NRC researcher teaches Canadian course in glycobiology
March 1, 2011
Glycobiology found its way for the first time into the classes of the University of Waterloo thanks to Dr. Warren Wakarchuk, Principal Research Officer at the NRC Institute for Biological Sciences (NRC-IBS), and Professor David Rose, Chair of the Biology Department at the University of Waterloo.
Glycobiology, an emerging field of science, focuses on the study of how sugar chains allow cells, from bacteria up to humans, to detect and interact with each other. Glycobiology combines the disciplines of biochemistry and molecular biology to explore how glycans are involved in molecular recognition. Glycans are essential for life and play critical roles in tissue development, immune system function and infectious disease. Dr. Wakarchuk wants to share his excitement about the wonders of glycobiology in order to attract more budding scientists to this promising research field.
Drs. Wakarchuk and Rose designed, introduced and taught their course in September 2010. "We both felt that there was a lack of glycobiology teaching and understanding in the regular biology/biochemistry courses and wanted to address that gap," says Dr. Wakarchuk.
Offered as part of the university's biology program, the course augmented students' knowledge of glycobiology and explored the intimate association of carbohydrates with normal biological processes, their relationship with disease, as well as the use of carbohydrates in bio-energy applications and other fields of use. Twenty-two University of Waterloo undergraduates attended the course.
"A lot of work went into designing and introducing this course,"says Dr. Wakarchuk."I am extremely happy with the results, especially since the students expressed a high level of interest."
