The Human Genome Project revealed that there are only 25,000 genes in the human body. How can this relatively small genome explain the complexity of human life? One potential answer lies in the fact that the complexity is magnified by post-translational modifications that alter protein activity. For instance, the type and extent of glycosylation may differentially regulate the activity of a single gene product and play important roles in protein-protein interactions. Glycomics is defined as the scientific pursuit of the collection of carbohydrates found in the extracellular matrix, intracellularly, and associated with the cell membrane. Glycobiology is an emerging field that studies glycomics. Currently, R&D Systems supplies reagents in the following four categories.