Thisbe K. Lindhorst : Essentials of Carbohydrate Chemistry and Biochemistry

Carbohydrates are probably nature's most common product. Plants and algae biosynthesize millions of tons of them every year. Carbohydrates are stores of energy and structural building blocks; they are versatile enough to serve as encoders of biological information and, last but not least, they are involved in recognition processes at a molecular level. Research into carbohydrate and glycoconjugate functions in cell-to-cell communication processes has even created a new and rapidly developing field of study: glycobiology. Thisbe K. Lindhorst is one of the leading "next generation" scientists in the area of carbohydrate research. Within her current book she presents a comprehensive introduction to the fascinating world of carbohydrates. In a lucid, explicit language she explains carbohydrate structures and the basic concepts of saccharide chemistry and saccharide biochemistry. With the same clarity she spans the gap to the glycobiological aspects of modern "glycoscience". Sample descriptions of research methods supplement the vital teaching text and open an experienced scientist's bag of tricks required to synthesize and analyze sugar derivatives easily and successfully. This book offers valuable guidance for students as well as for researchers working in chemistry, biochemistry and biomedicine. Reading it can help everyone become an expert in the field of carbohydrate chemistry.