The Sugar Code: Fundamentals of Glycosciences [Hardcover]

Hans-Joachim Gabius (Editor)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 352732089X | ISBN-13: 978-3527320899 | Publication Date: November 17, 2009 | Edition: 1

"The view that glycans are more complex and difficult to study than proteins and nucleic acids is no longer true. 'The Sugar Code' teaches us they are sweet and easy."
—Rocco Ungaro, University of Parma, Italy

"... a must-have for every library collection on carbohydrates and a great resource for chemistry and biology students curious for an entry into the rapidly growing area of glycosciences."
—ChemBioChem 2010

"Because of the diverse nature of this subject, this important and topical text belongs in the library of everyone working in the interdisciplinary field of glycosciences."
—Chemie in Labor und Biotechnik, 07-08/2010 (review in German)

A reader friendly, strategically structured introduction to glycosciences, guiding from the basics of the sugar alphabet and pertinent aspects of chemical/natural glycosylation to functional carbohydrate recognition (sugar code), with an eye on emerging medical relevance. All chapters, intimately connected by cross-referencing, share the same interdisciplinary level to make the information readily digestible. Story-telling info boxes add an entertaining touch.

Key Features:

• Written by a team of renowned glycoscientists from the forefront of research with the clear intention to convey their enthusiasm for teaching key lessons and edited by a leading figure of the field, this book is a perfect primer for students in life and medical sciences and for specialists looking for a concise overview.
• With its remarkable set of summary illustrations and its focus on landmark references, it is ideally suited as practical resource to teach classes, run courses and get prepared for contributing to the dynamic development of glycosciences.
• Visit the companion website at www.wiley-vch.de/home/thesugarcode to find files for lectures and tutorials. All figures (incl. legends) are presented in an easy to use, student-friendly format.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“In summary, this ambitious book is a must-have for every library collection on carbohydrates and a great resource for chemistry and biology students curious for an entry into the rapidly growing area of glycosciences. The decoding process has just begun.” (ChemBioChem, 2010)

From the Back Cover

A reader friendly, strategically structured introduction to glycosciences, guiding from the basics of the sugar alphabet and pertinent aspects of chemical/natural glycosylation to functional carbohydrate recognition (sugar code), with an eye on emerging medical relevance. All chapters, intimately connected by cross-referencing, share the same interdisciplinary level to make the information readily digestible. Story-telling info boxes add an entertaining touch.

Written by a team of renowned glycoscientists from the forefront of research with the clear intention to convey their enthusiasm for teaching key lessons and edited by a leading figure of the field, this book is a perfect primer for students in life and medical sciences and for specialists looking for a concise overview. With its remarkable set of summary illustrations and its focus on landmark references, it is ideally suited as practical resource to teach classes, run courses and get prepared for contributing to the dynamic development of glycosciences.

Supplementary Material is available at www.wiley-vch.de/home/thesugarcode

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 597 pages
• Publisher: Wiley-VCH; 1 edition (November 17, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 352732089X
• ISBN-13: 978-3527320899
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 6.9 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,410,873 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An essential scientific resource, March 4, 2010

By 

Stuart A. Newman (New York) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Sugar Code: Fundamentals of Glycosciences (Hardcover)

This is a terrifically useful book that spans an enormous range of sugar-related topics in 30 relatively brief but authoritative chapters, each with a manageable number of key references. A major focus is the informational content of glycans and glycoconjugates (hence the book's title), but this theme is not overemphasized: there are also chapters on techniques for the analysis of these highly diverse molecules, their laboratory chemical synthesis and cellular biosynthesis, their metabolism, structural roles, folding motifs and pathological variants and disease associations. Classes of molecules covered include glycoproteins, glycolipids, glycosaminoglycans, proteoglycans, and many more. The coding theme enters in full force with several chapters on lectins (a specialty of the editor, Hans-Joachim Gabius), animal and plant proteins that bind sugar-containing molecules with exquisite specificity. Despite its wide scope, the book reads more like monograph than a typical multi-authored compendium. This is due to the careful editing, which has produced stylistic coherence and didactic relevance. The artwork is clear and helpful, with a consistent style from chapter to chapter. The chapters are also cross-referential and contain fascinating "info boxes" (providing historical vignettes that give a sense of the paths of discovery in the field), and summary boxes. The volume can serve as the basis of graduate courses and as a handy source book for cell and developmental biologists, and pathologists. One hopes for future editions with some additional topics treated in the same accessible fashion: e.g., hyaluronan biosynthesis and function, non-enzymatic glycation in aging and disease, glycobiology of embryonic morphogenesis and organogenesis.