Home Department: Chemistry
Mentor: Carolyn Bertozzi, Chemistry

Cancer cells express modifications in the glycoproteins on their surface compared to healthy cells, allowing them to escape detection from the immune system. Through glycocalyx engineering (the coating of proteins and sugars on the surface of the cell), Shannon will be tuning the physical and chemical properties of synthetic mucus glycoproteins to match those of native mucus. She will then biochemically investigate protein-glycan interactions at the cell surface to determine potential targets for cancer immunotherapy.