GlyGen & CFDE Workshop Summer 2023

The 2 hour workshop will consist of multiple demonstrations and presentations. It will begin with a review of the basics of glycobiology and its importance to the biomedical field, followed by a demonstration the characteristics and tools of the GlyGen knowledge base. This includes GlyGen BLAST, GlyGen Mapper, and more. Further more, a demonstration of CFDE (Common Fund Data Ecosystem) and its uses will follow. This workshop is meant to provide a useful tool for individuals to use as an aid in protein and glycan analysis.

Workshop Abstract

Glycobiology is the study of the structure, production, biology, and evolution of sugars and glycans, which are found in all cells in nature. Glycans are enzymatically attached to other macromolecules, primarily proteins, and lipids, in a process known as glycosylation. This post-translational modification plays an important role in protein folding, function, and cellular interactions. It is essential to study the dynamic changes in glycosylation and biosynthetic pathways, as glycans modulate normal biological functions and are involved in most major human diseases. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) have provided funding for the worldwide research project GlyGen, which aims to advance glycoscience studies by integrating various multi-omics and glycobiology knowledge. GlyGen exists as an online portal that allows users to browse various glycan and protein data via a wide range of unique yet complementary resources. Users can utilize the portal's features to investigate questions related to biology and glycobiology and examine detailed glycan and protein data.

In addition, Common Fund Data Ecosystem (CFDE) is an NIH funded project that pools all of common fund recipients into one association which compiles resources and databases to enable users to explore and connect bioinformatics knowledge networks. By launching a series of cooperative projects that bring together eight Common Fund Data Coordinating Centers (DCCs), the CFDE took a significant step toward developing this resource. These projects will help create this functional ecosystem for addressing important biological questions, such as locating novel molecular pathways and shedding light on disease mechanisms. A crosscut metadata model (C2M2) is implemented in CFDE to properly integrate all of the input, as well as assist in the standardization of other data from the DCCs.

The purpose of this workshop is to bring together high school students who are interested in developing early-on research knowledge and skills in biochemistry, glycobiology, computer science, and bioinformatics. Each presenter will demonstrate glycan and protein analysis using GlyGen and CFDE tools described above, followed by a Q&A session at the end of the workshop. The attendees will gain basic knowledge on how to efficiently use bioinformatics resources to answer biological questions and provide valuable feedback on the user experience perspective which aids in the continuous development of GlyGen.

Organization Committee

Naina Bethi, Sanvi Desai, Nikhil Vattathara

This event is supported by the GlyGen team at The George Washington University.

Acknowledgement

Dr. Raja Mazumder - Principal Investigator

Jingyue Wu - Supervisor

Jeet Vora - Co-supervisor