Lenihan Launches Science Foundation Ireland-funded Alimentary Glycoscience Research Cluster at NUI Galway

Thursday, 1^st October, 2009:  Mr Conor Lenihan T.D., Minister for Science, Technology and Innovation, today (Thursday, October 1^st 2009) officially launched the Alimentary Glycoscience Research Cluster (AGRC) at NUI Galway. AGRC is an NUI Galway-led collaboration of research institutions and industry partners and was established following a grant earlier this year of €5.2million from Government through Science Foundation Ireland (SFI).

Launching the Strategic Research Cluster, Minister Lenihan said: “The AGRC is dedicated to conducting invaluable study into key research areas that impact enormously on each of us, directly or indirectly at some point in our lives. Its multi-disciplinary team of 36 researchers, together with industry partners and Government agencies, is the physical manifestation of the Government’s ‘Smart Economy’ aspiration, and over the next five years will work steadfastly towards unearthing ground-breaking discoveries of benefit to wider society. The participation of leading Industry and government agency partners - Agilent Technologies Ireland Ltd, Alimentary Health, Biomining Inc. and Bristol Myers-Squibb, Teagasc and NBRT - illustrates the ambition and pharmaceutical expertise that the cluster possesses from the outset.

According to Professor Lokesh Joshi, Lead Principal Investigator of the AGRC: “Glycosciences is a relatively new but important and rapidly emerging area of research, that is both industrially and clinically relevant. The AGRC is a globally unique and remarkable consortium that is exploring the roles played by complex sugars in host-bacterial interactions. This collaborative effort will aid in the discovery of novel diagnostics, therapeutics and nutraceuticals. The knowledge generated and technologies developed in this cluster will be highly applicable to other infectious diseases, as well as cancer, immune system, inflammation and neuroscience research. This is another example of NUI Galway’s contribution to the national innovation strategy and the SMART Economy”.

Speaking at the launch, director general of Science Foundation Ireland, Professor Frank Gannon, said “The Strategic Research Cluster model has proven, in a very short period, that the pooling of resources creates new opportunities which can potentially accelerate commercial outputs and other beneficial consequences. The AGRC has already built up considerable momentum around its specialized discipline.” 

“This is an extremely important initiative for NUI Galway and a very exciting development for Glycoscience research in Ireland. The internationally leading consortium of academic and industry partners, led by Professor Joshi will ensure that Ireland is positioned as a global leader in this emerging research area”, said Professor Terry Smith, Vice-President for Research, NUI Galway.

AGRC is one of 18 SFI Strategic Research Clusters around the country involving unprecedented engagement between higher education institutions, commercial enterprises and a variety of agencies.