GLYCANC researchers Alberto Passi, Martin Götte and Stephane Brezillon recently explored the "Sweet & Smart Molecules of the 21st century" as Speakers at a conference organized by Sylvie Fournel-Gigleux in Nancy. The presentations by the GLYCANC researchers covered a wide range of novel topics, including the role of proteoglycans and hyaluronan in cancer stem cells, a link to noncoding RNAs and epigenetics, and advanced spectroscopic analytical techniques, and were very well received.