Nico Callewaert
Molecular Glycobiology
VIB Department for Molecular Biomedical Research, UGent

PhD: Univ. of Ghent, Ghent, Belgium, '02 Postdoc: ETH, Zürich, Switzerland, '02-'05 VIB Group leader since 2005

e-mail phone +32 9 331 36 17 ADDRESS

Current team members
Group leader: Nico Callewaert
Staff scientist: Paul Ameloot
Postdoctoral scientists: Kristof De Schutter, Nele Festjens, Patricia Ntarima, Petra Tiels, Wim Nerinckx
Ph.D. Students: Bram Laukens, Charlotte De Visscher, Dieter Vanderschaeghe, Joemar Taganna, Kristof Vandewalle, Leander Meuris, Mouna Guerfal
Support personnel: Annelies Van Hecke, Evelyn Plets, Miek De Roover

Keywords
glycoconjugates - biological systems engineering - glycan profiling - posttranslational modifications - glycomics

Science
Glycoconjugates (sugar-containing molecules) are essential mediators in host-pathogen interactions (attachment, inflammatory signaling, immunity), in lymphocyte extravasation, in metastatic cancer cell adhesion to endothelia, in cellular differentiation and in the recognition and phagocytosis of dead cells and pathogens. Therefore, innovative molecular glycobiological research brings a unique perspective to the biomedical research lines of the Department of Molecular Biomedical Research. 

The goal of the new unit’s research is to contribute to the understanding of the biosynthesis and function of complex glycoconjugates that are biomedically relevant, through the development of novel tools and technologies, and to exploit this understanding for biomedical purposes.

We are continuously developing high-throughput analytical technology for these glycosylated molecules, with applications both in basic science and in clinical diagnostics. As an example of the latter, we discovered new markers for the non-invasive monitoring of liver fibrosis progression up to the cirrhosis stage, and these markers are now being validated and translated into routinely applicable diagnostic tests (in collaboration with the group of Roland Contreras). 

In the field of host-pathogen interactions, we are developing a functional glycomics approach to discover drug targets in the glycoconjugate biosynthesis pathways of pathogenic mycobacteria, and we are starting to explore the potential of novel glyco-engineered vaccines for important human diseases. 

Finally, we are engineering the yeast protein secretion system, to generate a strain which is optimal for the production of homogenously glycosylated eukaryotic membrane proteins. Virtually all of intercellular communication is running over membrane proteins and most drugs target them, but robust technology to over-produce these targets for structural and functional studies is lacking. We want to contribute to solving this problem.

Vanderschaeghe D, Laroy W, Sablon E, Halfon P, Van Hecke A, Delanghe J, Callewaert N
GlycoFibroTest is a highly performant liver fibrosis biomarker derived from DNA sequencer-based serum protein glycomics
MOL CELL PROTEOMICS 8, 986-94, 2009



De Schutter K, Lin Y, Tiels P, Van Hecke A, Glinka S, Weber-Lehmann J, Rouzé P, Van de Peer Y, Callewaert N
Genome sequence of the recombinant protein production host Pichia pastoris
NAT BIOTECHNOL 27, 561-6, 2009



Van Beneden K, Coppieters K, Laroy W, De Keyser F, Hoffman I, Van Den Bosch F, Vander Cruyssen B, Drennan M, Jacques P, Rottiers P, Verbruggen G, Contreras R, Callewaert N, Elewaut D
Reversible changes in serum immunoglobulin galactosylation during the immune response and treatment of inflammatory autoimmune arthritis
ANN RHEUM DIS 68, 1360-5, 2009



Laroy W, Contreras R, Callewaert N
Glycome mapping on DNA sequencing equipment
Nat Protoc 1, 397-405, 2006



Callewaert N, Van Vlierberghe H, Van Hecke A, Laroy W, Delanghe J, Contreras R
Noninvasive diagnosis of liver cirrhosis using DNA sequencer-based total serum protein glycomics
NAT MED 10, 429-434, 2004

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