About this Research Topic
Structural and functional study of glycosylated biomolecules is the next frontier in biological research. Glycans naturally exist in many different forms, including mono-, oligo-, and polysaccharides. Most of them are found attached to many other biomolecules such as peptides, proteins, and lipids. Glycans can adopt different three-dimensional structures and acquire different properties and functions depending on their sequence of sugar units and the local environment of biomolecules to which they are attached. Although numerous efforts have been made to develop a clear understanding of the structures and functions of glycosylated biomolecules, they are still much less understood than other biomolecules in living organisms, such as DNA, RNA, and proteins.
Gaining a deep understanding of the structures and functions of glycosylated biomolecules is central to future research in the areas of health, energy, and material sciences. In order to reach this goal, it is crucial to easily gain access to molecules of interest, and follow up with systematic and comprehensive characterization and analysis of these molecules. Although many different methods such as recombinant protein expression, enzymatic synthesis, chemical synthesis, and the combined use of these methods have been applied for the preparation of glycosylated biomolecules and have achieved some success, to further advance the study, more effective methods are required for the preparation of biomolecules with greater structural variation and higher quality. At the same time, more precise analysis tools, tests, and techniques are needed to characterize and compare the structure and properties of the obtained biomolecules to improve understanding of the role of glycosylation. This Research Topic aims to provide a platform for the most recent advances in this research area.
Review and Original Research articles on topics including the following are welcome:
• Development of new methods for the preparation of glycosylated biomolecules
• Development of new tools for the study of glycosylated biomolecules
• Isolation and characterization of glycosylated biomolecules from natural sources
• Biosynthesis and characterization of glycosylated biomolecules
• Chemical synthesis and characterization of glycosylated biomolecules
• Chemoenzymatic synthesis and characterization of glycosylated biomolecules
Prof. Huang is the founder of Iaso Therapeutics, a company dedicated to developing next generation vaccines. The other Topic Editors declare no competing interests.
Gaining a deep understanding of the structures and functions of glycosylated biomolecules is central to future research in the areas of health, energy, and material sciences. In order to reach this goal, it is crucial to easily gain access to molecules of interest, and follow up with systematic and comprehensive characterization and analysis of these molecules. Although many different methods such as recombinant protein expression, enzymatic synthesis, chemical synthesis, and the combined use of these methods have been applied for the preparation of glycosylated biomolecules and have achieved some success, to further advance the study, more effective methods are required for the preparation of biomolecules with greater structural variation and higher quality. At the same time, more precise analysis tools, tests, and techniques are needed to characterize and compare the structure and properties of the obtained biomolecules to improve understanding of the role of glycosylation. This Research Topic aims to provide a platform for the most recent advances in this research area.
Review and Original Research articles on topics including the following are welcome:
• Development of new methods for the preparation of glycosylated biomolecules
• Development of new tools for the study of glycosylated biomolecules
• Isolation and characterization of glycosylated biomolecules from natural sources
• Biosynthesis and characterization of glycosylated biomolecules
• Chemical synthesis and characterization of glycosylated biomolecules
• Chemoenzymatic synthesis and characterization of glycosylated biomolecules
Prof. Huang is the founder of Iaso Therapeutics, a company dedicated to developing next generation vaccines. The other Topic Editors declare no competing interests.
Keywords: Glycans, Glycosylation, Chemical synthesis, Enzymatic synthesis, Biological analysis
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