Advances in Carbohydrate Chemistry 2012

Dear Colleagues,

The complex and important role of carbohydrate conjugates in biological systems has been validated with the consolidation of the field of Glycobiology.  This has been prompted by tremendous advances in analytical techniques that have facilitated the isolation and structural characterization of complex glycoconjugates. However, the availability of these materials from natural sources is often very limited. Organic chemists have addressed this problem, and over the last few decades, the development of efficient glycosylation methodologies has allowed the synthesis of naturally occurring oligosaccharides and glycomimetics. These compounds not only serve as useful tools to glycobiologists, but are also of interest for their potential applications as therapeutics, in biomedical research and nanoscience.

There are still many unsolved challenges facing carbohydrate chemists, to name but a few, the improvement of the stereoselectivity of certain glycosylation reactions and the development of synthetic strategies that avoid lengthy protection/deprotection steps in the synthesis of oligosaccharides. In addition to this, a new role for carbohydrates as renewable raw materials is emerging, in view of the need to investigate sustainable chemical processes. The unique structural diversity, optical purity and natural availability of mono and oligosaccharides make them ideal candidates in this regard. We would like to invite scientists in these fields to submit research articles and comprehensive reviews addressing the above mentioned topics, and carbohydrate chemistry in general, for publication in this special issue.

Dr. Trinidad Velasco-Torrijos
Dr. Vito Ferro
Guest Editors