Researcher of the Month January 2012
My name is Monique van Scherpenzeel, I’m postdoc in glycomics in the field of congenital disorders of glycosylation.
I did my PhD on chemical proteomics and chemical biology at Utrecht University.
What research group do you belong to?
I belong to the research group of dr. Dirk J. Lefeber. Our focus lies on congenital disorders in glycosylation and lysosomal disorders.
What kind of research/activities?
My research is about method development to analyze glycans and oligosaccharides for clinical diagnostics mainly, but these analyses also find their application in a variety of research projects. With our new nanoLC-chip QTOF mass spectrometer we profile glycans or oligosaccharides from serum and urines, and we analyze protein glycosylation by measuring intact glycoproteins. With this instrument detailed structural information is obtained, which is highly useful in unraveling a mechanism or defect in the glycosylation pathway. We collaborate for example with the group of dr. Floris van Delft (Radboud University Nijmegen) in the field of chemical biology. They synthesize tools which provide us to study the glycosylation process in the cell. Metabolic labeling and tools to enrich (labeled) glycoproteins give us more insights into the influence of genetic defects on protein glycosylation.
What are your thoughts about the UMCN/IGMD, what do you like about it?
I like the existence of the IGMD institute because it strengthens the interactions between fundamental, applied and clinical research. Personally, I like multidisciplinary research and I’m convinced that collaborations between the different research fields really bring science a step further. The website is highly useful to find the right contacts, and it gives the IGMD visibility through the updates of the latest news, high-ranking publications, grants and awards.
What are your wishes/expectations for the future?
I aim to implement these innovative analytical methods in clinical diagnostics, and to contribute to our high laboratory quality standards. I really like to expand this glycomics facility to become a leading service facility for these highly specialized analyses.
