About
The mission of Emory Glycomics and Molecular Interactions Core (EGMIC) is to provide investigators in the Emory community access to methods and technology being used and currently under development in the rapidly developing area of glycomics and molecular interactions. We will accomplish this through individual consultation with investigators, who find a need to address questions regarding glycosylation, the most common posttranslational modification, and protein-glycan interactions. We use leading mass spectrometry and glycan microarray technologies to help understand the functions of glycans and glycan binding proteins. Our priority is to serve the needs of investigators at Emory University, but we are also capable of providing service to investigators at other institutions. Please reach out with any questions at any stage in the process.
Core Leadership
Xuezheng Song, PhD
Scientific Director
Associate Professor, Department of Biochemistry
Xuezheng Song is an associate professor in Biochemistry Department Emory University School of Medicine. He received his PhD in organic chemistry from Michigan State University, working on synthetic carbohydrate chemistry. He has then spent more than 10 years in the development of novel chemistry and technology for glycoscience, especially in the study of protein-glycan interactions. He is currently funded by NIH to develop chemistry for large-scale natural glycan preparation and new platforms of glycan microarray technology.
Blaine R. Roberts, PhD
Scientific Director, Molecular Interactions
Associate Professor, Department of Biochemistry
Blaine received his PhD in Biochemistry and Biophysics from Oregon State University, working on the protein and metal biochemistry of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. He then expanded his research interests to include research on the root causes of Alzheimers disease and Parkinson’s disease, studying amyloid beta, alpha synuclein, and post translational modifications including metal cofactors, dityrosine formation and isomerization. He has experience across a broad range of mass spectrometry tools and techniques such as intact protein and top down protein analysis, and bottom up proteomic techniques including absolute quantitation of proteins, metabolites, lipids and drugs.
Yi Lasanajak, MS, MSPH
Technical Director
Yi received her MS in Plant Biology from University of New Hampshire and MSPH in Biostatistics from the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University. Her previous work has included ten-year experience in glycomics research as a senior research specialist for National Center for Functional Glycomics (NCFG), located in Biochemistry department Emory University School of Medicine. Her main research expertise is microarray development and glycomics analysis. She coordinates and directs all technical activities and core services. With her additional expertise in Biostatistics, she also assists in research data analysis and interpretation.
Core Team
Afzal Yacoob, BS
Research Specialist, Lead
Afzal received his BS in Chemistry from Clayton State University. He joins our core with LC MS experience from conducting forensic science research at the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Laboratory (USACIL) with the Department of Defense and working as an Analytical Chemist at Osmotica Pharmaceutical Corporation. His greatest joy is teaching and training others and breaking down complex scientific principles in a digestible fashion to be understood by anyone.
