drug design and bioengineering laboratory

Cyclic β glucans are unique molecules that are found almost exclusively in bacteria of the Rhizobiaceae family. They are important as intristic components of gram negative bacterial cell walls. The unusual structure of these cyclic β glucans permits them to form inclusion complexes with hydrophobic molecules. This property of the glucans can be exploited for many applications in both food and pharmaceutical industries. The potential application of these cyclic glucans in industries will depend on the development of strategies for large-scale, overproduction of these molecules. The objective of my research is to enhance the production of β(1,3) β(1,6) cyclic glucan from bacteria and to explore their potential industrial applications.