Carbohydrate Research JSCR44 Poster Award

Award winner

MIYAGAWA Atsushi (Life Science and Applied Chemistry Group)

Award-winning research

Facile Methods for the Synthesis of Sugar Nucleotides Utilizing the Activation of Unprotected Sugars at the Anomer-Position

Related Website of the winner

YAMAMURA-MIYAGAWA Lab.

Outline

The Carbohydrate Research JSCR44 Poster Award is sponsored by Carbohydrate Research, a specialized journal of glycoscience, is presented to researchers who have reported outstanding achievements at the 44th Annual Meeting of the Japanese Society of Carbohydrate Research, an interdisciplinary academic organization that encompasses fields such as carbohydrate chemistry, glycobiology, pharmacology, and medicine.

Associate Professor MIYAGAWA Atsushi has developed a simple chemical synthesis and purification method for sugar nucleotides, which are essential for the enzymatic synthesis of sugar chains by transglycosylation reactions, and is conducting research into their applications. Conventional synthesis of sugar nucleotides requires seven to eight reaction steps, each of which requires a purification process. Furthermore, because sugar nucleotides are highly polar and unstable compound, the purification process requires skilled techniques. This sugar nucleotide can be synthesized through one or two reaction steps, and the purification process has been simplified by using a purification device and creating a purification method protocol. This technology can be applied not only to the synthesis of glycans, but also to glycopharmaceuticals, which are currently attracting attention, and is expected to lead to further research developments. This achievement was highly recognized and led to the award.