Our Research

Twenty years of glycoscience at Macquarie.

The Packer Glyco Lab integrates analytical innovation, computation and biology to map the structures and functions of glycans across health and disease. Our work sits across five interconnected streams.

Sugars of the brain

Neuroglycomics

We investigate how the region-specific glycome of the brain underpins key molecular mechanisms within neurodegenerative diseases, neural function, and extracellular matrix plasticity.

Key research interests

Interplay between glycan synthesis and degradation pathways
Region-specific spatial and multi-omic studies of the brain
Glycan interactions with Tau protein accumulation and pathology

Research publications

Cutting-edge analytical platforms

Analytical Glycoscience

We develop and refine advanced liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) technologies to confidently identify, quantify, and characterize complex glycan structures and their glycoprotein carriers directly from biological samples.

Key research interests

Development of high-resolution sequential multi-omic workflows (e.g., SSSMuG)
Structural elucidation of N- and O-glycans using PGC-LC-MS/MS
Integration of glycomic data with comprehensive proteomic and transcriptomic datasets

Research publications

Decoding the mucin glycome

Mucinomics

We explore the complex, dense O-glycosylation landscapes of mucin proteins to understand their critical roles in mucosal barrier function, host–microbiome interactions, and disease progression.

Key research interests

Mass spectrometric characterization of heavily O-glycosylated domains (e.g., MUC1, MUC2)
Impact of mucin glycosylation on the gut microbiome and tissue microenvironments
Alterations of mucin O-glycans in cancers and inflammatory diseases

Research publications

Engineering the sugar code

Synthetic Glycobiology

We apply glycoengineering principles and biocatalytic tools to design, modify, and analyze customized glycan structures for targeted biological applications and functional probing.

Key research interests

Strategic utilization of glycosidases to manipulate and map glycan architecture
Engineering tailored glycomolecules to probe specific structure–function relationships
Development of synthetic glycan standards to optimize mass spectrometry workflows

Research publications

From discovery to diagnosis

Applied Sciences

We translate fundamental biomolecular discoveries into tangible biomedical applications, focusing on uncovering novel biomarkers, understanding pathological mechanisms, and informing clinical diagnostics.

Key research interests

Identification of specific glycomarkers for cancer progression and metastasis
Investigating glycan-mediated host–pathogen interactions and immune responses
Bridging high-throughput multi-omics with actionable clinical outcomes

Research publications