Speaker: Luca Unione, PhD
CIC bioGUNE, Basque Research & Technology Alliance (BRTA), Bizkaia Technology Park, Derio, Bizkaia, Spain
Presentation
Host: Dr. Borja Mateos (IRB) & Dr. Irene Marco (IBEC) on behalf of IRB - IMANT Interest Group
Node: Chemical & Structural Biology
Date: Tuesday 16 December 2025, 12h
Place: Serratosa Room
Every single cell—from bacteria to complex organisms such as humans—is enveloped by a dense coat of sugars, carbohydrates, saccharides, or simply glycans.[1] In the form of membrane-associated glycoconjugates (glycoproteins and glycolipids), glycans influence a vast array of biological processes, including host–pathogen and viral interactions.[2] Pathogens often display glycans that are recognized by host glycan-binding proteins, facilitating infection and immune evasion.[3] Conversely, many viruses exploit host-cell surface glycans as attachment factors to mediate entry and initiate infection.[4]
Within this context, Glycoscience offers tremendous potential for combating infectious diseases. Understanding the molecular basis of these interactions is essential—yet remains a formidable challenge due to the structural complexity and diversity of glycans.
To address this, we employ a multidisciplinary approach that integrates chemical and enzymatic synthesis, mammalian protein expression, and structural biology, with a particular emphasis on NMR spectroscopy, to advance our understanding of glycan-mediated infection mechanisms.[5–8] From the ubiquitous human influenza A virus to the recent SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, our findings reveal how both pathogen and host glycosylation dynamically evolve at the front line of infection, shaping recognition, immune response, and disease progression.
[1] Carolyn R Shurer, Joe Chin-Hun Kuo, LaDeidra Monét Roberts, Jay G Gandhi, Marshall J Colville, Thais A Enoki, Hao Pan, Jin Su, Jade M Noble, Michael J Hollander, John P O'Donnell, Rose Yin, Kayvon Pedram, Leonhard Möckl, Lena F Kourkoutis, W E Moerner, Carolyn R Bertozzi, Gerald W Feigenson, Heidi L Reesink, Matthew J Paszek Cell 2019, 177(7), 1757-1770.
[2] Lakshminarayanan, A., Richard, M. & Davis, B.G Nat Rev Chem. 2018, 2, 148-159.
[3] A. Varki, P. Gagneux, in Essentials of Glycobiology, Cold Spring Harbor (NY). 2015, pp. 77-88
[4] Suenaga T, Arase H Glycoscience: Biology and Medicine. 2014, 22, 785-794.
[5] Frederik Broszeit, Rosanne J van Beek, Luca Unione, Theo M Bestebroer, Digantkumar Chapla, Jeong-Yeh Yang, Kelley W Moremen, Sander Herfst, Ron A M Fouchier, Robert P de Vries, Geert-Jan Boons. Nat Commun. 2021, 12(1), 5449.
[6] Zeshi Li, Luca Unione, Lin Liu, Yifei Lang, Robert P de Vries, Raoul J de Groot, Geert-Jan Boons. J Am Chem Soc. 2022, 144(1), 424-435.
[7] Luca Unione, María J Moure, Maria Pia Lenza, Iker Oyenarte, June Ereño-Orbea, Ana Ardá, Jesús Jiménez-Barbero. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl. 2022, 61(18).
[8] Unione L, Ammerlaan ANA, Bosman GP, Uslu E, Liang R, Broszeit F, van der Woude R, Liu Y, Ma S, Liu L, Gómez-Redondo M, Bermejo IA, Valverde P, Diercks T, Ardá A, de Vries RP, Boons GJ. Nat Commun. 2024, 15(1):2979.
IRB Barcelona / IBEC Joint Seminars
IMPORTANT: For attendees outside the PCB community you must register at least 24h before the seminar
The weekly seminars at IRB Barcelona are scientific events primarily addressed to the Institute’s research community and professionals in the biomedical field. Attendance is intended exclusively for individuals with a genuine and justified scientific interest in the seminar content. Registration should not be used to request supporting documents for visa or immigration purposes. For participants residing outside Spain, in-person attendance requires a formal invitation issued by an IRB Barcelona research group or department. Without such an invitation, access to the institute cannot be guaranteed. IRB Barcelona reserves the right to review and verify all seminar registrations.