Glycobiology & Glycochemistry

Glycans in Structural and Computational Systems Biology

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Glycan sequences cannot be described by a simple linear one-letter code as each pair of monosaccharides can be linked in several ways and branched structures can be formed. Few of the bioinformatics algorithms developed for genomics or proteomics can be directly adapted for glycomics. The development of algorithms, which allow a rapid, automatic interpretation of mass spectra to identify glycan structures, is currently the most active field of research. The development and use of informatics tools and databases for glycobiology and glycomics research has increased considerably in recent years. In terms of bioinformatics in glycobiology, there are several paths of research that are currently in progress.