The availability of comprehensive databases and corresponding bioinformatics ... Read moretools, to access and analyse the large amounts of experimental data relating to the structure of carbohydrates, will be a prerequisite for the success of the large-scale glycomics projects that aim to decipher new, so far unknown, biological functions of glycans.   Efficient bioinformatics descriptions and tools can considerably enhance the efficiency of glycomics research, in terms of data quality, analysis and experimental costs.

For a complete understanding of the molecular processes in which carbohydrates are involved, such as protein–carbohydrate interactions and the impact of glycosylation on protein function, knowledge of the 3D structure of the carbohydrate, the protein–carbohydrate complex, or the glycoprotein is often indispensable. This book provides a thorough introduction into methods used for conformational analysis of carbohydrates.

Key features:

• Describes bioinformatic approaches to handle carbohydrate-active enzymes and glycosylation.
• Provides an overview on bioinformatics tools that facilitate analysis of carbohydrate structures.
• Gives introduction into molecular modelling of carbohydrate 3D structure and carbohydrates contained in the Protein Databank.
• Assumes only a basic knowledge of biology and bioinformatics.