Oligosaccharide microarrays for glycomics.
Glycomics is an emerging field that was proposed at the end of the 20th century as a new concept to follow genomics and proteomics. Studies on glycans are indispensable to define complex life systems and cell communities because all living organisms consist of diverse cells, which are covered with an abundance of heterogeneous carbohydrates. Although studies on glycans are extremely difficult because of the lack of basic technologies common to DNAs and proteins, a few new aspects of glycotechnologies have now become realized in the form of "bio-chips", which include "oligosaccharide arrays" or "glyco-chips". Recently, Fukui et al. developed oligosaccharide microarrays for glycomic analysis of extensive carbohydrate-binding proteins. How and why such glyco-engineering projects have been made in the contexts of both pure and applied sciences is described.
Hirabayashi
Jun
J
Research Center for Glycoscience, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, AIST Tsukuba Central 6, 1-1-1 Higashi, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8566, Japan. jun-hirabayashi@aist.go.jp
D002623:Chemistry Techniques, Analytical / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*; D020650:Combinatorial Chemistry Techniques / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D004867:Equipment Design; D015336:Molecular Probe Techniques / Q000295:instrumentation*; D015335:Molecular Probes; D015394:Molecular Structure; D009844:Oligosaccharides / Q000737:chemistry*; D011134:Polysaccharides / Q000737:chemistry; D040081:Protein Array Analysis / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods
D015335:Molecular Probes; D009844:Oligosaccharides; D011134:Polysaccharides