Professor Anthony Davis in the School of Chemistry has been awarded a European Research Council Advanced Grant of nearly €2.5 million for this project, which aims to transform the lives of diabetics.
Molecules which bind carbohydrates can have a range of medical uses. An important example is the application of glucose-binding molecules in glucose monitors for diabetics, and potentially in glucose-sensitive insulin which becomes more active as glucose levels increase.
Anthony’s group recently developed a glucose-binding molecule called “GluHUT” (Glucose-binding Hexaurea Temple) which turns out to be remarkably effective. “POSTGLUHUT”, aims to exploit GluHUT in a number of new ways, and also to develop the underlying science so that other carbohydrates can be targeted. The funds will provide them with the resources required to make the most of GluHUT itself, and to move towards ‘synthetic antibodies’ binding a range of medically important carbohydrates. Ultimately they hope to improve the lives of diabetics, and to develop a range of other medical applications through binding to the carbohydrate units which control many biological processes.