FIRST EDITION

“Glycobiology is a field undergoing spectacular advances that progressively reveal the critical role of glycoproteins and proteoglycans in the organization and function of eukaryotic cells, especially in multicellular organisms. Glycobiology is … poised for further major advances in the immediate future. This book … will greatly help all those ready to enter this challenging, yet promising field.”

– George E. Palade, Nobel Laureate in Medicine, 1974

“Precise laws govern the linear sequences of nucleic acids and proteins, but what about complex carbohydrates? Is there a carbohydrate code? Do carbohydrate sequences dictate the behavior of the proteins and lipids that carry them? This book provides the background necessary to answer these timely questions. In the Era of Functional Genomics, this book will be indispensable to anyone who encounters a new molecule with an unknown sugar modification.”

– Michael S. Brown and Joseph L. Goldstein,

Nobel Laureates in Medicine, 1985

“As the literature that is available to biological scientists continues to expand at an ever increasing rate we tend to specialize … This practice is, of course, fraught with dangers. The most exciting developments are often those that bring together knowledge from one area and show that it is applicable to another … Thus, Essentials of Glycobiology will be of great value to all of us and will be important for people working in essentially all branches of biology.”

– Edwin G. Krebs, Nobel Laureate in Medicine, 1992

“The prefix glyco- strikes dread into the hearts of many molecular biologists … Thank heavens for this new treatise on Glycobiology, which does much to demystify this complex area. The treatment is logical and thorough, yet individual topics are presented with refreshing brevity. Although the inherent biology of glycosylation is poorly understood, what is known is presented with clarity and rigor. This is the textbook I wished for six years ago, when I developed an interest in the area. I recommend it as a knowledgeable and readable source of information … ”

– Richard J. Roberts, Nobel Laureate in Medicine, 1993

SECOND EDITION

“My own research career has repeatedly intersected with glycobiology—ganglioside affinity purification of E. coli enterotoxin, isolation of red cell Rh blood group antigens, and molecular elucidation of N-glycosylated aquaporin water channels. The biological importance of these carbohydrates was always intriguing but at times confusing. The availability of the second edition of Essentials of Glycobiology now provides succinct coverage of this important area of science for non-experts, like me, as well as the cognoscenti. The basic principles of glycobiology are clearly articulated in this volume, and the roles of complex carbohydrates in disease are an important read for all biomedical scientists.”

– Peter Agre, Nobel Laureate in Chemistry, 2003

“My first experience with glycoproteins was the research for my thesis (1957) on the effects of proteins on the physical characteristics of the long-chain sugar hyaluronic acid. In 1990 I began an association with the Glycobiology Institute of Oxford University, a pioneer glycobiology laboratory where the term glycobiology was introduced by its Director, Raymond Dwek. We initiated a program [that] led to the design of novel potential therapies—iminosugars—for HCV and potentially many other viruses that could have a profound effect on the prevention and treatment of viral disease. Essentials of Glycobiology is a major resource for understanding these posttranslational biochemical reactions that affect the function and fate of proteins produced by the genes that are profoundly changed by their added sugars.”

– Baruch S. Blumberg, Nobel Laureate in Medicine, 1976

“Paul Valery, the French author, poet, and mathematician, once said: ‘Ce qui est simple est faux, ce qui est compliqué est incomprehensible‘ (that which is simple is wrong, that which is complicated is incomprehensible). Well, yes, but not this time. The second edition of Essentials of Glycobiology, superbly printed and illustrated, develops in simple and absolutely precise terms the complicated intricacies of glycobiology. I would have killed to get this encyclopedic treatise 40 years ago when I was working my way through this field.”

– Edmond H. Fischer, Nobel Laureate in Medicine, 1992