Welcome to the Research Group Physical Glycoscience

The glycocalyx is the cell's calling card: it surrounds every cell in the human body like a "sweet husk". This coat is highly complex and consists of thousands of different sugar structures that are either free or bound to proteins, lipids or RNA on the cell surface. As the glycocalyx is the outermost part of the cell, it is also the first interaction partner for the cellular environment, be it hormones, nutrients, pathogens or other cells. Leonhard Möckl and his team's research focuses on the molecular organization of the glycocalyx, how it is influenced by genetic changes - both physiological and pathological - and how these changes in turn regulate cellular processes. The research group uses a broad spectrum of methods, ranging from super-resolution microscopy  (especially dSTORM and DNA-PAINT) and cell and glycobiological methods todeep learning and AI-based experimental designs.