Message from the Chairperson

Message
Tamao Endo Chairperson Japan Consortium for Glycobiology and Glycotechnology

It is my great pleasure to express a few remarks to all glycoscientists in Japan on this occasion.

The Japan Consortium for Glycobiology and Glycotechnology (JCGG) was established in 2004 by Prof. Yoshitaka Nagai as the first president, and then Prof. Toshisuke Kawasaki, the second president, and Prof. Naoyuki Taniguchi, the third president, have expanded the JCGG activities. I am now the fourth president of JCGG from the beginning of this year.

One of activities of JCGG is to organize the JCGG Symposium which started from 2003, is held once a year, and counts 15 in 2017. The JCGG symposia are continuously realized by many efforts of glycobiologists and great cooperation of researchers from other fields. They have joined JCGG and supported its activity through providing contributions from their own research grants. Another activity is to present the Tamio Yamakawa Award to a glycoscientist who has made widely recognized and major contributions to the field of glycoscience. This international award was founded by a donation to JCGG from the Sialic Acid Society, to honor the distinguished career of Prof. Tamio Yamakawa and his outstanding contributions to the field of glycoscience. The 2016 Tamio Yamakawa Award, the first award, was presented to Prof. Markus Aebi (ETH Zurich). The 2018 Tamio Yamakawa Award will be presented to Prof. Gerald Hart (Johns Hopkins Univ.).

JCGG is financially supported by members who personally donated in various ways, and the companies and foundations such as the Mizutani Foundation who are interested in glycoscience and related fields. I appreciate those scientists, companies, and foundations who have provided continuous support to the JCGG activities.

Due to complicate natures of glycans other field researchers sometimes hesitate to handle the glycans. Therefore, it is necessary to develop easy and fast technologies in glycoscience in order to deeply understand the nature of life and integrate biological sciences. Glycoscience is important not only to basic research on life science but also to medical field and evolutional development in food and environment sciences and energy problem.

JCGG is now planning to publish the road map of glycoscience in Japan. Such a proposal would greatly contribute to the development of social life in this country.

We always appreciate your continued instruction, encouragement, and support for JCGG.

January 2018