Godula, Kamil
Nanotechnologies for analysis of glycan function during development. Glycomaterials for stem cell-based tissue regeneration.

Contact Information
Associate Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry

Office: Pacific Hall 6224A
Phone: 858-822-2395
Email: kgodula@ucsd.edu
Web: godulalab.ucsd.edu/
Group: View group members
Education
2006 Ph.D., Columbia University
2000 M.Sc., Marquette University
Appointments
2011 Project Scientist, Molecular Foundry, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
2006 Postdoctoral Fellow, UC Berkeley and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Awards and Academic Honors
2017
ACS PMSE division Young Investigator
2015
NIH Director's New Innovator Award
2011-
NIH Pathway to Independence Award
2003
Jack Miller Award for Excellence in Teaching, Columbia University
2001-2004
Alfred Bader Fellow
Research Interests
The field of glycobiology is gaining in importance as new discoveries continue to reveal the fundamental contributions of glycans (also called carbohydrates, saccharides, or, simply, sugars) in biology. Cell-surface and extracellular matrix glycoconjugates govern myriad biological processes intimately linked to healthy development as well as the onset and progression of many diseases. Glycans are typically organized on polypeptide scaffolds in patterns that encode protein-binding motifs. The patterns span tens to hundreds of nanometers and it is the nanoscale encoding of information by glycans (and their exclusion from the direct purview of the Genome) that makes them elusive to interrogation by traditional genetic and biochemical methods. Our group combines synthetic chemistry approaches with concepts of nanoscience to generate glycomaterials that match the dimensions and sophistication of native glycoconjugates and can be used to intercept, analyze, and dynamically perturb signaling pathways controlled by these biomolecules.

The two classes of glycoconjugates under investigation in our lab are proteoglycans and mucins. Proteoglycans are known regulators of growth factor signaling during development. We are interested in creating functional surrogates of proteoglycans and using them to guide embryonic stem cell differentiation into specific tissue lineages with an eye toward regenerative medicine applications. Mucins are linear heavily glycosylated proteins forming a protective mucous layer on epithelial surfaces lining many of our organs. Outside of their protective function, mucins mediate cellular signaling and communication by engaging surface receptors via their glycan ligands. Our lab uses a novel screening platform comprising microarrayed libraries of structurally well-defined synthetic mucin mimetics to systematically profile the role of specific glycan structures and their nanoscale presentation in the context of maintenance of proper mucous barrier function and in modulating pathogen adhesion to epithelial surfaces.
Primary Research Area
Organic Chemistry
Interdisciplinary interests
Bioorganic
Materials


Selected Publications