Introduction
Glyco-synthetic biology is a discipline focused on the biosynthesis and regulatory mechanisms of carbohydrate molecules, encompassing studies ranging from monosaccharide synthesis to the assembly and modification of complex glycans. Key biochemical processes in nature, such as glycolysis, gluconeogenesis, and glycosylation, underpin the synthesis of carbohydrates. Glycobiology, which investigates the structure, chemistry, biosynthesis, and biological functions of glycans and their derivatives, has garnered significant attention in recent years. Glycans, as one of nature's largest reservoirs of biological information, play critical roles in fertilization, development, differentiation, and immune system homeostasis. Glyco-engineering, an emerging biotechnology field following genetic and protein engineering, has found widespread applications in medicine, agriculture, food science, chemical engineering, and environmental protection.
Glyco-engineering enables the targeted modification and synthesis of carbohydrates, offering novel technical solutions for drug development, crop improvement, and environmental sustainability. Glycan-based drug development has become a hotspot in pharmaceutical research, leveraging the unique recognition and binding properties of glycans on cell surfaces to treat diseases such as autoimmune disorders, cancers, and infectious diseases. Several glycan-derived therapeutics have already been successfully developed and applied in clinical settings.
In light of these advancements, Synthetic Biology will launch a special issue titled "Glyco-Synthetic Biology", showcasing multidisciplinary applications of synthetic biology in glycan synthesis and compiling pivotal research achievements in the field to provide readers with profound insights.
Themes
The special issue will cover, but is not limited to, the following topics:
Glycoscience, Glyco-engineering, and Glyco-Synthetic Biology
Chassis Element Design and Biosynthesis of Glycans in Cell Factories
Key Technologies for In Vitro Bio-synthesis (ivBt) of Glycans
Glycan Biosynthesis for Glycosylated Proteins
Glycan Biosynthesis in Glycolipid Complexes
Glycan Modifications of Nucleic Acids and Their Biosynthesis
Glycan Modification and Biosynthesis of Saponins
Key Technologies and Platforms for Glycan-Producing Cell Factories
Optimization and Integration of In Vitro Glycan Biosynthesis (ivBt) Systems
Novel Synthetic Pathways and Applications in Glyco-Chemical Biology
AI-Driven Design of Glycan Biosynthetic Pathways and Meso-Scale Pilot Reaction Simulation
Advanced Separation and Purification Technologies for Biosynthetic Glycan Products
Global Trends and Application Prospects in Glycan Biosynthesis Technologies
Submission Requirements
Manuscripts must include Chinese and English abstracts, an English graphical abstract, and bilingual (Chinese/English) figure/table captions.
Invited Reviews: Should provide systematic, forward-looking, and visionary perspectives.
Research Articles: Must present complete and innovative findings (comparable to journals with Impact Factor ≥5).
Perspectives/Commentaries: Should critically evaluate groundbreaking research published within the past year and propose novel insights.
Submission Deadline
May 31, 2025
Guest Editors
Academician Biao YY
Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Researcher Yuguang DU
Institute of Process Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Researcher Cheng JIN
Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Researcher Kan DING
Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences