Precise Glycan Editing
We develop spatiotemporally resolved, substrate-selective editing tools and interface-level interventions along both protein-glycan and RNA-glycan axes to enable precise glycan control in defined biological contexts.
Ge Lab · Shenzhen Bay Laboratory
Reading the language of glycans, from single sites to entire condensates.
We follow a read–edit–engineer framework along the protein- and RNA-glycan axes — building precise glycan-editing tools, decoding glycan function in biomolecular condensates and cellular processes, and converting that knowledge into therapeutic strategies such as tumour immunotherapy.
23
Publications since 2012
13
Group members
5
Collaborating institutions
3
Research directions
Research directions
All research →One framework, three threads
The glycome underpins molecular interaction and information flow in living systems. Along the protein- and RNA-glycan axes, we ask three questions in sequence: can we edit glycans precisely? how do their functions unfold? and can we convert that knowledge into diagnostics and therapeutics?
Functional Decoding
Using interdisciplinary chemical-biology tools, we dissect functional interactions between glycans and proteins/RNA in defined spatial and state contexts — from biomolecular condensates to the plasma membrane — and study how glycans shape transcription, translation, and other fundamental cellular processes.
Translational Applications
We map functional microenvironments co-assembled by glycans and other macromolecules, and design systematic profiling and intervention strategies for disease diagnosis and therapy — from glycan-editing-enhanced tumour immunity to new cell-surface markers, glycan-mediated interactions, and glycan-enabled biologics.
Featured publication
Highlight paper
Protein Cell 2026, pwag053
O-GlcNAc Clusters in Intrinsically Disordered Regions Regulate Transcriptional Condensates and Gene Control
We identify a previously unappreciated regulatory role of O-GlcNAc clusters located within intrinsically disordered regions of transcriptional regulators. These glycan clusters modulate the material properties of transcriptional condensates and downstream gene-control programmes.
News
All news →Latest news
2026-08-05Publications
2026-06-11Group
2026-04-14Award
2026-01-09Publications
Protein & Cell | O-GlcNAc clusters regulate transcriptional condensates
In collaboration with Prof. Jun Liu's team, we report that O-GlcNAc clusters within disordered regions of transcriptional regulators control the material properties of …
Silan Liu: Breaking the 'sweet armour' — The SMART Choice
Postdoctoral fellow Silan Liu shares the story behind her work on strategies that detect and manipulate cell-surface glycans.
Wang Na awarded an excellent poster prize at the 35th CCS Annual Meeting
Wang Na, our jointly-supervised PhD student, received an excellent poster award at the 19th session of the 35th Annual Meeting of the Chinese Chemical Society.
Nat Commun | Unlocking a non-catalytic function of OGT for targeted stress-granule control
Our Nature Communications paper reveals a non-catalytic function of OGT that enables targeted regulation of stress granules.
Join us
Want to help us read the language of glycans?
We are recruiting postdocs, PhD students, jointly-supervised PhD students, and research assistants. Reach out to discuss.