Bioinformatic Tools for Interpretation of Glycan Array Data

Project SummaryAbstract There is an urgent need of bioinformatic tools for mining glycan array data in order to accurately and statistically study the interactions between cell surface glycans and glycan binding proteinsWe propose here to develop a software and hardware integrated system for the interpretation of glycan array dataThe problem with existing glycan array data mining tools is that they give binding information only for simplistic substructures of glycans and not complex binding determinantsand also that they are not automatedTo solve this problemZ BiotechLLCa glycan array providerwill team with DrBrian Haab s lab in Van Andel Research Institutea software providerto develop and improve a robust glycan array data mining toolMotifFinderZ Biotech has invented a robust glycan array platform having the advantage to display glycans on solid surfaces in a multivalent formThe glycan arrays Z Biotech provides have superior performance with the criteria for a high quality microarraywhich is suitable for generation of glycan array data for evaluation of a bioinformatic tool like MotifFinderIn additionThe Haab research group has been leading developments in glycan array bioinformaticsThey were the first to publish an algorithm for the analysis of glycan array data inand subsequently have contributed many innovationsThe proposed research strategy has been supported by a preliminary experimental investigation under collaboration between the two glycoscience groupsIn Phase Ithe specific aims aredevelopment of a catch allGlycan Array as a primary array for software testingmanufacture individual glycan array subarrays and run assays used for testing softwareandoptimize and validate software for the automated interpretation of glycan array dataThese are realistic goals within the SBIR program scopeand the resultant glycan array packages with hardware and software will have a broad impact on glycobiology researchglycan related biomarker characterizationand new drug development targeting glycans Project Narrative Glycan array is a vital tool for studying carbohydrate protein interactionsbiomarker discoveryand potentially drug screening and there is need for a bioinformatics tool for interpretation of glycan array dataThe goal of this SBIR project is to develop a robust bioinformatics tool for the analysis of glycan array dataThe resulting bioinformatic tools will also deepen our understanding of how glycans contribute to diseasessuch as cancers and infectious diseases