In the proposed project new, integrated technologies for quantitative and high throughput glycomics, glycoproteomics and the related bioinformatics will be developed. Glycoproteins are important cell-cell communication molecules: primarily located on the membrane, glycoproteins mediate inter-cell interaction, while secreted glycoproteins can distribute throughout the whole organism via the bloodstream. The structures of the glycans attached to these glycoproteins are known to change in response to disease. With more than 50% of all human proteins being predicted to be glycosylated, there is a dearth of reproducible and quantitative analytical technologies to determine the extensive micro- and macro-heterogeneity of these molecules. In this proposal, we aim to develop novel interdisciplinary approaches to provide hitherto unknown, accurate and detailed information on the identity and quantity of glycoproteins, AND their glycosylation, simultaneously and in a high throughput manner. The lack of any template or prediction tools that allow deduction of this information makes it crucial to develop new technologies in this area.This capacity will enable the acquisition of in-depth knowledge of protein glycosylation and the investigation of the biological role of these molecules in the context of Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBD) such as ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease. The prevalence of IBD has risen in the past 10 years with every fifth IBD patient being a child or adolescent. In Germany alone more than 300 000 patients suffer from IBD. To date a cure of IBD is still not possible and IBD are suspected to increase the risk of developing colorectal cancer, which itself is already the third most common cancer in developed countries. The findings produced by this study will provide the first steps for understanding IBD onset and improving diagnostic tests and treatments.