The UC Davis Functional Glycobiology Program, an integrative, multidisciplinary program that brings together experts from a variety of disciplines including food science, nutrition, chemistry and microbiology, has launched a new Web site: fgp.ucdavis.edu.

Glycobiology is a new field in the life sciences that combines expertise in carbohydrate biology, analytical chemistry and molecular biology. The UC Davis program aims to translate breakthroughs in the structure-function relationships of bioactive glycosilated ingredients in human milk into products to improve human health.

The first success of the program is a novel prebiotic-probiotic treatment now being tested for its clinical effectiveness. The trial involves feeding premature infants various oligosaccharides (prebiotics) and their corresponding bacteria (probiotics) to observe their impact on intestinal microflora as well as infant growth, resistance to disease and overall health.

Program coordinators said they expect the new Web site to generate new collaborations in such fields as microbiology, animal science, internal and clinical medicine, bioengineering and physics.

More information is available from Angela Zivkovic, director of scientific and business development: (530) 752-1486 or amzivkovic@ucdavis.edu.