GlycoMar is an innovative biotechnology company simultaneously developing marine natural products for the pharmaceutical, cosmeceutical, and nutraceutical markets.

GlycoMar distinguishes itself from other biotechnology companies by focusing on marine glycobiology – giving it unique access to a class of proprietary novel molecules with invaluable biological profiles. GlycoMar also offers a range of complementary contract research services, giving customers access to its range of bespoke anti-inflammatory screening assays and glycobiology analytical tools.

Novel therapies based on saccharide molecules from marine organisms

GlycoMar is uniquely focused on the development of novel therapies based on saccharide molecules from marine organisms. These molecules offer a unique therapeutic approach with an excellent safety profile. The company has developed a unique library of polysaccharides and glycosaminoglycans. The molecules have been the subject of compositional analysis and partial structural characterisation. Anti-inflammatory screening has shown a high hit rate of valuable activity, which is being developed for respiratory inflammatory disease in collaboration with a pharmaceutical partner.

GlycoMar is seeking partners interested in other therapeutic areas, including anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, anti-coagulant, and anti-infective.

Nutraceutical and cosmeceutical discovery

GlycoMar has developed processes for the production of novel active saccharides from unicellular marine microalgae. These products are sustainably produced from naturally occurring marine microalgae. They have the following properties which can support a wide range of claims:

• Activity: anti-inflammatory activity relevant to joint-care, skin-care and eye-care
• Non-toxic, non-irritant
• Non-animal polysaccharides and oligosaccharides
• Marine natural product
• Chemical-free extraction – truly natural
• Non-GM
• Sustainably produced with no environmental impact
• High-quality product

GlycoMar’s nutraceutical and cosmeceutical ingredients compare very favourably with existing saccharide products from botanical or animal sources.

Drug discovery screening services

GlycoMar’s specialist screening facility has been established to provide flexible in vitro screening services to a wide range of organisations involved in therapeutic discovery. GlycoMar offers a suite of cost-effective primary screens, using cells from healthy human donor volunteers and cell lines.

Screening assays (marker and cell type):

• Inflammatory cytokine profiling: human whole blood, PBMCs, or neutrophils, keratinocytes, or endothelial cells
• Elastase release: human neutrophils
• Chemotaxis: human neutrophils
• Transendothelial migration: human neutrophils, human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs)
• Oxidative burst: human neutrophils and lymphocytes
• Activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT): fresh human plasma, sheep plasma
• Cytotoxicity: BHK cells

Glycobiology analytical services

GlycoMar’s specialist analytical laboratory has been established to provide compositional analysis of saccharide molecules, including glycosaminoglycans. We can also offer full structural analysis of GAGs by NMR.

Analytical services:

• HPLC-SEC: molecular weight and purity determination by HPLC with PDA and/or RI detection
• Monosaccharide analysis: monosaccharide composition analysis of purified materials by GC-MS
• Disaccharide analysis: disaccharide composition analysis of glycosaminoglycans by HPLC-PDA
• Linkage analysis: polysaccharide linkage analysis by methylation analysis
• Fourier transform infra red spectroscopy: FTIR analysis of purified materials
• Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR): structural determination of glycosaminoglycans