In Sept. 2002, the Alberta Innovates Centre for Carbohydrate Science (now Alberta Glycomics Centre), began operation with a total of six principal investigators from the University of Alberta and the University of Calgary.

Glycomics is the study of the role of carbohydrates and carbohydrate-containing biomolecules in biological systems. Carbohydrates play a critical role in many biological processes including biological recognition, cell-to-cell interaction, immune response, infection and inflammation. It is anticipated that the Glycomics field will lead to the development of new drugs, vaccines and diagnostics.