Seventy team members from GlycoMIP’s two user facility sites — Virginia Tech and the University of Georgia — along with three research partner sites, including Brandeis University, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, gathered for its second annual team meeting to exchange ideas, celebrate accomplishments, and plan for the upcoming year. 

GlycoMIP is a national user facility and multidisciplinary research program that addresses scientific and technological bottlenecks in glycomaterials research.

The Complex Carbohydrate Research Center located  at the University of Georgia hosted the meeting. This facility serves as a partnering site for the modeling and additional characterization services offered by GlycoMIP, complementing the synthesis and primary characterization user facilities at Virginia Tech.

The meeting kicked off on Sunday evening with networking events for GlycoMIP Scholars, faculty and external advisory committee members. 

An engaging keynote lecture by Todd Talashek, director of fundamental sciences with CP Kelco, described the history of glycomaterial innovation within its company. This was followed by a lively poster session featuring ongoing research activities of the GlycoMIP Scholars, who also participated in a professional development program on research integrity and ethics, which included a discussion on artificial intelligence. 

Taking advantage of a rare opportunity to meet in-person, several GlycoMIP committees held meetings, including the external advisory, diversity, and cyber resources. 

The opportunity for GlycoMIP’s five universities to meet in person has proven critical the project’s success. This exchange fostered strategic planning sessions where the team members set goals for the coming year and expressed their collective vision. The group will return to Blacksburg for the 2024 annual meeting.