Challenges in Glycoinformatics 2003

This chapter entitled Challenges in Glycoinformatics will review new themes in describing and archiving glycostructures, their interface with the analysis tools and how to extract relevant glycomic data out of those.

Glycoinformatics is the common technology and electronic language that connects the field of glycobiology. It allows the presentation, and the description of glycomolecules in a useful way that enables their utilization and manipulation. Glycoinformatics further permits pathway and systemic analysis of glycans to create diagnostic tools, aid in drug discovery and development, and develop biotechnological applications for food, medicine and industry. The technologies enabling this are now only emerging, and new abilities are now developed. The developments in technologies and in strategies for using data require progress and re-evaluation in the field of glycoinformatics.