Transforming Glycoscience
Author | : National Research Council |
Publisher | : National Academies Press |
Total Pages | : 171 |
Release | : 2012-10-23 |
ISBN-10 | : 9780309260862 |
ISBN-13 | : 0309260868 |
Rating | : 4/5 (62 Downloads) |
Book excerpt: A new focus on glycoscience, a field that explores the structures and functions of sugars, promises great advances in areas as diverse as medicine, energy generation, and materials science, this report finds. Glycans-also known as carbohydrates, saccharides, or simply as sugars-play central roles in many biological processes and have properties useful in an array of applications. However, glycans have received little attention from the research community due to a lack of tools to probe their often complex structures and properties. Transforming Glycoscience: A Roadmap for the Future presents a roadmap for transforming glycoscience from a field dominated by specialists to a widely studied and integrated discipline, which could lead to a more complete understanding of glycans and help solve key challenges in diverse fields.