Glycans—often described as the dark matter of biology—remain among the most complex and least understood biomolecules, despite their central roles in development, immunity, signaling, and disease. Unlike the genome and proteome, the glycome still represents an uncharted frontier. The SMART Symposium, "Decoding the Glycome: Illuminating Biology's Last Uncharted Frontier," will convene leading experts from academia, industry, and medicine to illuminate this hidden dimension of life.

Discussions will span next-generation analytical techniques enabling precise mapping and quantitation of glycan; mechanistic insights into how glycan perturbations drive human diseases across oncology, neurology, infection, and rare disorders; and chemical biology tools that allow site-specific editing, labeling, and real-time tracking of glycan dynamics. We will further explore how glycans orchestrate immunity—from antigen presentation and receptor signaling to host–pathogen interfaces—while highlighting translational advances in vaccines, cell and gene therapies, and glyco-engineered biotechnologies. Finally, the meeting will surface emerging concepts in the glycobiology field. By uniting these perspectives under one roof, the symposium aims to catalyze interdisciplinary dialogue, establish shared standards and toolkits, and chart actionable pathways from fundamental mechanism to clinical impact, accelerating discovery and translation in glycan science.

Martina DELBIANCO, Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces

Yun GE, Shenzhen Bay Laboratory

James PAULSON, The Scripps Research Institute

Peng WU, The Scripps Research Institute

(in alphabetical order)

Kelvin ANGGARA, Max Planck Institute for Solid State Research

Marta ARTOLA PEREZ DE AZANZA, Leiden University

Jeremy BASKIN, Cornell University

Daniel BOJAR, University of Gothenburg

Pamela CHANG, Cornell University

Xing CHEN, Peking University

Henrik CLAUSEN, University of Copenhagen

Ratmir DERDA, University of Alberta

Ryan FLYNN, Boston Children's Hospital

Kamil GODULA, University of California, San Diego

Yasuhiro KAJIHARA, The University of Osaka

Heinz LÄUBLI, University of Basel

Jiefu LI, Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute

Matthew MACAULEY, University of Alberta

Leonhard MÖCKL, FAU Erlangen-Nuremberg, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light

Salomé S. PINHO, i3S - University of Porto

Christoph RADEMACHER, University of Vienna

David VOCADLO, Simon Fraser University

Yvette VAN KOOYK, Amsterdam UMC

Juan WEI, Shanghai Jiao Tong University

Nieng YAN, Shenzhen Medical Academy of Research and Translation, Shenzhen Bay Laboratory

Biao YU, Shanghai institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences

Tianqing ZHENG, Hangzhou Institute of Medicine, Chinese Academy of Sciences

Xin ZHOU, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School

NOTE: More speakers to be announced.

TBA

Registration Deadline: November 13, 2026

Please click the Register link at the top of this web page to proceed with the registration process.

Registration Fees

*Please upload valid documents for review if you are a student.

Notice

1. When making transfers, please include the following note: Glycome + [Your Full Name].

2. Please complete the registration and payment before November 13, 2026. Attendees registering on-site will be provided with only the electronic program.

3. The electronic invoice for the registration fee will be sent to the registered email address within 15 working days after the symposium.

Refund Policy

1. A 2% administrative fee will be charged for all refund transactions.

2. Refund requests submitted after 18:00 (GMT+8) on November 15, 2026 will not be processed.

Abstract Submission Deadline: October 23, 2026

Submission Guidelines:

• Please submit your abstract for a short talk through the Short Talk Speakers registration portal.
• Each presenting author may submit only one abstract.
• All submissions will be reviewed by the organizing committee for scientific quality and alignment with the symposium's scope and topics.
• Corresponding authors of accepted abstracts will receive a confirmation email.
• Accommodation fees will be covered for presenters of selected short talks.

This conference will feature a poster presentation session, with awards for outstanding posters. We sincerely invite you to submit your abstracts and participate in the poster presentation (encouraging the display of the latest research advancements or unpublished research topics).

How to Participate: Upload poster information when register.

Poster Requirements: If you will present a poster, please print it yourself and bring it to the conference venue. The staff will post it in the designated area.

Poster Size: Width 80 cm*Height 120cm

We do not provide centralized accommodation for this symposium. Participants can arrange their own accommodation by contacting nearby hotels. (If you encounter any difficulty in booking a hotel, please contact us at symposium@smart.org.cn.)

Phishing Alert: Please be alert to fraudulent emails claiming to offer symposium accommodation or hotel services. These phishing attempts may request payment or personal information. If you receive such an email, do not reply, click any links, download attachments, or share any information. We appreciate your vigilance.

1. EVEN Hotels Shenzhen Guangming Cloud Park, an IHG Hotel

Address: No. 98 Zhenyuan Road, Guangming District, Shenzhen

The hotel is 200 meters (~3-minute walk) from the conference venue.

Contact: Mr. Zhou, Tel: +86-135 0841 8360

2. Holiday Inn Express Shenzhen Guangming Cloud Park, an IHG Hotel

Address: No. 98 Zhenyuan Road, Guangming District, Shenzhen

The hotel is 200 meters (~3-minute walk) from the conference venue.

Contact: Mr. Zhou, Tel: +86-135 0841 8360

3. SYSU Academic Vila, Shenzhen Campus

Address: No.66 Gongchang Road, Guangming District, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China, Guangming District, Shenzhen

The hotel is 2.5 kilometers (~5-minute drive) from the conference venue.

Contact: Mr. Ran, +86-133 3028 2207

4. Guangming CIMC Executive Apartments Hotel

Address: CIMC Executive Apartments Hotel, Qiaoming Road, Fenghuang Street, Guangming District, Shenzhen

The hotel is 7.6 kilometers (~20-minute drive) from the conference venue.

Contact: Mr. Lu, Tel: +86-138 2659 2644

Email: symposium@smart.org.cn

Tel: +86-173 2236 4121

Official Symposium Notice (Chinese)