Glycoproteins are central to numerous cellular processes and are among the most structurally complex biomolecules in nature. This unique complexity stems from variability in complex oligosaccharides that are located throughout the protein, a feature that is profoundly important for regulating biomolecular interactions but also makes glycoproteins difficult to study. As such, glycoprotein analysis entails a range of techniques to bridge the knowledge gap between glycoprotein structure and biological function.
This book serves as an authoritative guide to glycoprotein analysis, written by internationally recognised experts in the field and discussed in the context of real-world applications across the life sciences. It provides a wide-ranging assessment of the modern methods, from those used to characterise glycoprotein structure, to approaches proficient in uncovering the molecular mechanisms by which they function as well as those capable of measuring structural dynamics and macromolecular assembly. These methods differ to a large extent and include mass spectrometry, glycan/lectin arrays, nuclear magnetic resonance, infrared spectroscopy, scanning probe microscopy and high-performance liquid chromatography. Equally important are computational techniques, including molecular dynamics and bioinformatics, which are also covered and discussed in the wider context of glycoprotein analysis.
Glycobiology is indeed a rapidly growing field and the development of advanced tools for glycoproteins analysis has been enabled by researchers from different backgrounds working to overcome long-standing analytical challenges and biological questions involving glycosylation. This book is intended to aid academic and professional researchers at various levels of their career to gain a deeper appreciation of cutting-edge methods in glycoprotein analysis and their applications in biomolecular research, biotherapeutic development, structural biology and biophysical chemistry.
