About GlycoMIP

GlycoMIP was established as a National Science Foundation Materials Innovation Platform, MIP, on August 1, 2020.  The five-year project is led by Director, Maren Roman (Virginia Tech) and Associate Director, Robert Woods (University of Georgia).  GlycoMIP’s national user facility is located at Virginia Tech’s Fralin Life Sciences Institute and at the University of Georgia’s Complex Carbohydrate Research Center.  GlycoMIP is one of only four MIPs in the United States.

GlycoMIP is a partnership between Virginia Tech, the University of Georgia, Brandeis University, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and accelerates glycomaterials discovery and development through leading-edge research and state-of-the-art scientific equipment.

GlycoMIP Vision

GlycoMIP is a nationwide collaboratory, where members of the materials research community share tools, samples, data, software, and know-how for the collective advancement of glycomaterials science and technology.

GlycoMIP Mission

Achieve transformative scientific and technological advances in glycomaterials synthesis, characterization, modeling, and their automation

Provide access to state-of-the-art instrumentation and services for glycomaterials synthesis, characterization, and modeling

Educate and train the general public, scientific community, and next generation of glycomaterials researchers to deepen their understanding of glycomaterials and enable them to advance glycomaterials science and technology.

Facilitate the sharing of glycomaterial samples, data, tools, code, and know-how among the materials research community.

Foster the deployment of glycomaterials and technologies resulting from in-house and user research.

In alignment with this vision, GlycoMIP pursues the following project goals:

  1. GlycoMIP operates a nationally recognized user facility for glycomaterials synthesis,
    characterization, and modeling that supports increasing numbers of unique research
    projects per year. GlycoMIP accelerates glycomaterials research and innovation in the U.S.
    through scientific advances and development of new methods and tools.
  2. GlycoMIP improves glycomaterials literacy of the materials research community and
    broadens access to glycomaterials research methods by providing education and training.
  3. GlycoMIP increases glycomaterials education and training of the next-generation workforce.
  4. Achieve diversity and inclusion among GlycoMIP personnel and participants of the User, In-
    House Research, and Education and Outreach Programs.

GlycoMIP’s User Program Goals

  1. GlycoMIP operates a nationally recognized user facility for glycomaterials synthesis, characterization, and modeling that supports increasing numbers of unique research projects per year.
  2. The GlycoMIP User Program advances glycomaterials science and technology.

GlycoMIP’s In-House Research Program Goals

  1. Develop new chemical and enzymatic methods and protocols for the automated synthesis of
    glycopolymers with the guidance of advanced machine-learning techniques
  2. Develop advanced automated modeling protocols that better account for the effects of
    molecular environment on the conformations and physical properties of glycopolymers.
  3. Implement autonomous and automated computational methods for predicting and assigning
    the spectra (ROA, VCD, MS) of glycopolymers.
  4. Develop high-throughput methods for accurately predicting and measuring the strengths of
    carbohydrate-protein interactions.

GlycoMIP’s Education and Outreach Program Goals

  1. GlycoMIP improves glycomaterials literacy of the materials research community and
    broadens access to glycomaterials research methods by providing education and training.
  2. GlycoMIP increases glycomaterials education and training of the next-generation workforce.

GlycoMIP’s Knowledge Sharing Goals

  1. GlycoMIP will be nationally recognized among the materials research community as a hub
    for collaboration and sharing of glycomaterials samples, data, tools, code, and know-how.
  2. GlycoMIP will be the preferred access point of glycomaterials-related data for the materials
    research community.

GlycoMIP’s Broadening Participation Goals

  1. Achieve diversity and inclusion among GlycoMIP personnel and participants of the User, In-
    House Research, and Education and Outreach Programs.