Modern Aspects of Biochemistry and Analytics of Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates as part of glycan structures occur in all domains of life. Due to their ubiquitous role in cell-surface based signaling and information exchange a variety of glycan-based research fields has emerged during the last two decades. Especially developments in molecular biology and modern analytical methods have increased our knowledge about the ubiquitous role of carbohydrates in animals, plants, and bacteria.

The course will enable participants to develop an interdisciplinary perspective on the field of glycobiology. For this, in the beginning, a carbohydrate structure-based understanding of glycan biochemistry will be developed. This covers qualitative and quantitative carbohydrate analytics as well as the fundamental biophysical principles underpinning interactions of carbohydrates with proteins.

Aim of this course is an insight into the interdisciplinary field of glycobiology. It will present an actual survey of the biochemistry of sugar building blocks, oligo- and polysaccharides in pro- and eukaryotic systems. Moreover, qualitative and quantitative carbohydrate analytics will be covered as well as the fundamental biophysical principles underpinning interactions of carbohydrates with proteins. Subject areas: Fundamentals on glycoconjugates. Structural and functional principles of the glycan conformational space. N-and O-linked glycosylation. Glycan analysis. Lectins and carbohydrate binding modules. Physicochemical principles of protein-carbohydrate interactions. Glycan arrays. Microbial glycobiology and pathogenesis.