Sugar molecules form one of the basic constituents of life. The sugar molecules, found on the cell surface of all tissues, impact protein and cellular functions. However, it has been difficult to study them and fully understand how they influence molecular life, human development, and disease, such as cancer. New methods and tools are needed to gain further insight into the molecular language of sugars on cells and tissues. We have recently uncovered that mannose sugars are critical for brain and heart development, demonstrating that lack of mannose sugars on specific proteins leads to severe disorders. We now aim to develop new methods to study mannose sugars, which may lead to a broader understanding of how cells interact in developing tissues and allow us to develop new tools to detect and potentially combat cancers.