On May 27, 2025, the Institute for Glyco-core Research (iGCORE), jointly established by Nagoya University and Gifu University, signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with GlycoNet, Canada’s premier glycomics research network, at the Edmonton Convention Center during the Glyco27 conference. Glyco27, the 27th International Glycoconjugate Symposium, is the latest biennial conference organized by representatives from more than 15 different countries that are part of the International Glycoconjugate Organization.
This agreement was signed on behalf of J-GlycoNet and the Human Glycome Atlas Project (HGA), with the Institute for Glyco-core Research (iGCORE)—a joint initiative between Nagoya University and Gifu University—serving as one of the primary participating institutions. Nagoya University Vice President Kenji Kadomatsu, who also serves as Director of iGCORE and Director of J-GlycoNet/HGA, represented the Japanese consortium alongside colleagues from the Exploratory Research Center on Life and Living Systems (ExCELLS) at the National Institutes of Natural Sciences and the Soka University Glycan and Life Systems Integration Center (GaLSIC).
Gyco-Net CEO Elizabeth Nanak (left) and iGCORE Director Kenji Kadomatsu (right)
GlycoNet is a non-profit organization supported by the Canadian Government’s Strategic Science Fund, dedicated to addressing global challenges in health and sustainable agriculture through glycoscience research. The expanded partnership building upon an existing fiver-year collaboration with iGCORE under the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science’s Core-to-Core Program.
The MOU establishes several key areas of cooperation, including joint funding for research; the sharing of technologies, materials, and information; student exchange programs and training opportunities; and collaborative work among researchers. Of particular significance is the inclusion of the Human Glycome Knowledge Base “TOHSA,” a knowledge base aggregating large-scale glycan data created by HGA. The cooperation with GlycoNet will contribute to the further development of TOHSA and lead to the discovery of new research applications.
The three-year agreement positions Nagoya University as one of the key institutions at the forefront of international glycoscience research, facilitating knowledge exchange that will advance both fundamental research and practical applications in healthcare and biotechnology.