1985

Complex Carbohydrate Research Center established by a 16-member research team recruited from the University of Colorado

1985

New class of regulatory molecules (oligosaccharins) reported by CCRC scientists in Scientific American

1987

DOE designates CCRC as National Center for Plant and Microbial Complex Carbohydrate Research

1989

National Institutes of Health designates CCRC as national resource center for biomedical complex carbohydrate research

1989

CCRC moves into new 45,000-sq-ft facility to accommodate its 80 members

1990

New 5,000-sq-ft NIH-funded addition houses computer facilities and 600 MHz NMR spectrometer

1991

Oligosaccharin binding site identified, first step in understanding how these molecules trigger plant defenses

1995

Released GLYCAM — the first comprehensive software for simulating carbohydrates, glycoproteins and carbohydrate- protein complexes

1996

New evidence revealed for role of complex carbohydrate regulation of plant cell wall growth

1997

36,000-sq-ft addition completed and houses one of the first 800 MHz NMR spectrometers

1998

CarbBank — first online database of its kind — allows researchers to share structural information about complex carbohydrates

1999

New details reported for model of the load-bearing structure in growing cell walls

2000

Unique approach developed to synthesize key parts of heparin, a naturally occurring molecule that prevents blood clotting and affects many other biological processes

2000

Molecular architecture of an enzyme that helps cells sort out and destroy misfolded, defective glycoproteins shows how this enzyme works or can be blocked; these results may guide future efforts to design drugs for diseases like emphysema where misfolded proteins accumulate

2001

Normal plant growth found to depend on an unusual carbohydrate (RGII) in cell walls

2001

Understanding how microbes elude host immune responses advanced by a detailed study of a specific enzyme

2001

An enzyme (GnT-V) linked to spread of cancer cells discovered; hunt begins for a GnT-V inhibitor that could prevent or slow cancer cell migration

2003

NIH funds $6.7 million grant for a National Resource Center in Biomedical Glycomics to map all the complex carbohydrates in human stem cell lines; may lead to new diagnostic tests and treatments for diseases like Parkinsons and cancer

2003

200 scientists, students and staff move into a new 140,000-sq-ft facility, that includes a room for the largest ever NMR

2003

NIH designates CCRC as National Resource Center for an Integrated Glycotechnology

2003

New methods using NMR spectroscopy show how proteins "dock" with complex carbohydrates

2003

CCRC's new Computational Glycobiology Center established

2003

First gene for a key enzyme in pectin biosynthesis identified

2003

Major expansion in medical carboydrate science begins

For more information, check out the CCRC Web site at www.ccrc.uga.edu or contact Alan Darvill at adarvill@ccrc.uga.edu and Peter Albersheim at palbersh@ccrc.uga.edu.

Kathleen Cason is associate director of Research Communications at the University of Georgia.