The majority of candidate recombinant therapeutics are glycoproteins. Four aspects of glycobiology are requisite if the full potential of such reagents is to be realised: an understanding of glycan biosynthesis and its regulation, rapid and sensitive oligosaccharide analytical techniques, determination of structure-function relationships in protein-linked carbohydrate; and manufacturing systems where product glycosylation is manipulable and consistent. The past year has seen significant progress in all of these areas, exemplified by the approval of glycosylation-engineered glucocerebrosidase for clinical use in replacement therapy of Gaucher's disease.