In Photorhabdus asymbiotica genom, we identified a gene for a putative lectin, and examined the corresponding recombinant protein PHL from functional and structural point of view. We succeeded in determining structure of PHL in complex with several monosaccharides and tested a wide range of various mono-, di- and oligovalent carbohydrate-based molecules. Data gained so far show the way for design and synthesis of potential therapeutics.