Chemical Glycomicrobiology Lab // Organic Synthesis + Glycobiology + Micro-organisms vs Us

Every cell on Earth wears a complex coat of glycans. Despite being vastly understudied, this sugary envelope plays a crucial role in biological communication — in health and disease alike. Understanding how this "sugar code" is written, edited, and read is key to deciphering it and finding ways to influence these processes.
Tom Wennekes is an Associate Professor at Utrecht University and leads the Chemical Glycobiology research group within the Molecular Biochemistry and Biophysics section of the Bijvoet Centre for Biomolecular Research. His group develops glycan-based chemical probes, inhibitors, and microarray technologies to explore and disrupt the role of glycans and associated proteins in their lifecycle — with a particular focus on symbiotic and pathogenic interactions in the human gut microbiome. This work builds on a unique combination of synthetic bio-organic chemistry, surface chemistry, and chemical biology applied to glycosciences. The goal: a molecular-level understanding of glycobiology and the development of new glycotherapeutic and diagnostic tools for diseases involving host–pathogen interactions.
Among the group's achievements is the development of a glycan-based small molecule antiviral for influenza with a novel mechanism-based mode of action, currently approaching clinical trials. Tom also initiated and coordinated the "Sweet Crosstalk" European Training Network, bringing together academic and industry partners across Europe to train the next generation of glycoscientists working on the human mucosa–microbiota interface. He has published 62 papers in international peer-reviewed journals including Science, PNAS, and Angewandte Chemie, and has received competitive personal and collaborative grants including NWO VENI and VIDI, the KNCV Pharmacochemistry Award for the best medicinal chemistry PhD thesis in the Netherlands (2009), and the Wiley-VCH Young Investigator Award at the International Carbohydrate Symposium (2012).
Tom is committed to running a supportive research group where people from all backgrounds feel at home and are empowered to learn, grow, and thrive. He teaches Chemistry and Chemical Biology courses across the BSc tracks in Pharmacy, Chemistry, and the College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, as well as MSc tracks in Drug Innovation, Nanomaterials, and Molecular and Cellular Life Sciences. In 2024, he was shortlisted for the UU Outstanding Teacher Award. He also actively makes science accessible to young audiences: as a founding member of the Utrecht Young Academy, he co-developed and organises the "Waar of Niet Waar?" (True or False?) programme together with the UU Science Hub & University Museum, and has been involved in the Junior Science Lab and Kids University initiatives.
Interested in bacterial sugar codes and the molecular tools to crack them? We're always happy to hear from potential BSc/MSc students, PhD candidates, and postdocs: get in touch!