Message from the Chairperson

Dear All,

I am pleased to introduce myself as the newly appointed President of the Japan Consortium for Glycobiology and Glycotechnology (JCGG). JCGG has been led and developed by distinguished predecessors, including our founding president, Professor Yoshitaka Nagai, followed by Professors Toshisuke Kawasaki, Naoyuki Taniguchi, and most recently, Professor Tamio Endo. It is with great responsibility that I step into this role, and I am committed to further advancing glycobiology and fostering the continued growth of JCGG.

JCGG has been organizing an annual symposium, which this year marks its 22nd edition. This symposium serves not only as a platform for glycobiology researchers to exchange ideas and share information but also as an essential venue for interdisciplinary collaboration. With your support, we will continue to enhance the quality and impact of these gatherings.

To recognize researchers who have made significant contributions to glycobiology, JCGG established the Tamio Yamakawa Award in 2016. This award is presented biennially and has so far been conferred upon Dr. Markus Aebi (ETH Zurich), Dr. Gerald Hart (Johns Hopkins University), and Dr. James Paulson (Scripps Research Institute). We are pleased to announce that the fourth recipient of this prestigious award is Dr. Richard Cummings (Harvard Medical School). We will continue to honor outstanding researchers who contribute to the advancement of glycobiology.

Japan has made remarkable contributions to glycobiology on a global scale. However, due to the structural complexity of glycans, researchers from other fields often find them challenging to understand. To address this, it is crucial to promote interdisciplinary research and advance glycan analysis technologies. The integration of artificial intelligence (AI), a rapidly evolving field, is also an important challenge. Furthermore, glycobiology extends beyond fundamental life sciences and has applications in medicine, food science, energy, and materials science. With this in mind, JCGG is updating its 2018 roadmap, “Creating the Future of Glycoscience: Japan’s Roadmap”, and developing “Roadmap 2025”. This time, we will enhance the roadmap by further enriching the sections on food, materials, and information sciences, in addition to the medical field, and provide guidelines for the further advancement of glycoscience.

Additionally, JCGG has published “Glycoscience Protocols (GlycoPODv2)” on the NCBI Bookshelf. We plan to update this resource every two to three years to reflect the latest advancements in the field. By doing so, we aim to provide researchers and students with valuable knowledge and learning resources.

The success of JCGG’s activities is made possible by the generous support and collaboration of our members. We sincerely appreciate contributions to the roadmap and GlycoPODv2, as well as financial support through individual donations, book royalties, symposium fees, the Mizutani Glycoscience Foundation, and sponsorships from corporate partners through advertisements and exhibition contributions. Your continued support is vital for the growth of JCGG, the advancement of glycobiology, and the development of the next generation of young researchers.

We look forward to your valuable feedback and suggestions. Thank you for your continued support of JCGG.

Shoko Nishihara
President, Japan Consortium for Glycobiology and Glycotechnology (JCGG)