Carbohydrate Structure Database

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Carbohydrate Structure Database

The Carbohydrate Structure Database (CSDB) is a specialized database that compiles information on the structures of carbohydrates. Carbohydrates, also known as saccharides, are essential biomolecules that play critical roles in various biological processes, including energy storage, cell signaling, and structural support in cell walls and extracellular matrixes.

Overview

The Carbohydrate Structure Database is designed to provide researchers with comprehensive data on the chemical structures of carbohydrates. This includes information on the monosaccharide units, their glycosidic bonds, and the overall three-dimensional structure of the carbohydrate molecules. The database is an invaluable resource for scientists working in fields such as glycobiology, biochemistry, and molecular biology.

Features

The CSDB offers several key features:

• **Structural Data**: Detailed information on the atomic structure of carbohydrates, including bond lengths, bond angles, and torsion angles.
• **Glycan Libraries**: Collections of glycan structures, which are complex carbohydrates composed of multiple monosaccharide units.
• **Search Tools**: Advanced search functionalities that allow users to find specific carbohydrate structures based on various criteria such as molecular weight, monosaccharide composition, and glycosidic linkage type.
• **Visualization Tools**: Tools for visualizing the three-dimensional structures of carbohydrates, aiding in the understanding of their spatial configuration and interactions with other molecules.

Applications

The Carbohydrate Structure Database is used in a variety of scientific applications:

• **Drug Development**: Understanding the structure of carbohydrates can aid in the design of drugs that target specific carbohydrate-protein interactions.
• **Disease Research**: Carbohydrates play a role in many diseases, including cancer, diabetes, and infectious diseases. The CSDB helps researchers identify potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets.
• **Biotechnology**: The database supports the development of biotechnological applications such as biofuel production and biomaterial design.

Access and Usage

The Carbohydrate Structure Database is typically accessible through a web-based interface, allowing researchers to query and retrieve data from anywhere with an internet connection. Users can download structural data for use in their own computational analyses and experimental designs.

Related Databases

• Protein Data Bank (PDB)
• Nucleic Acid Database (NDB)
• Lipid Maps Structure Database (LMSD)

See Also

• Glycoscience
• Glycomics
• Bioinformatics
• Structural Biology