Chemical Modification of Biological Polymers

Book excerpt: Examining the chemical modification of biological polymers and the emerging applications of this technology, Chemical Modification of Biological Polymers reflects the change in emphasis in this subsection of biotechnology from the study of protein structure and function toward applications in therapeutics and diagnostics. Highlights The basic organic chemistry of the modification proteins, nucleic acids, oligosaccharides, polysaccharides, and their applications New analytical technologies used to characterize the chemical modification of biological polymers Identification of in vivo, non-enzymatic chemical modification of biological polymers Specific chemical modifications to generate biopharmaceutical products This book covers the basics on the organic chemistry underlying the chemical modification of biopolymers, including updates on the use of various chemical reagents. It describes the current status of chemical modification of biological polymers and emerging applications of this technology in biotechnology. These technologies are important for the manufacture of conjugate proteins used in drug delivery, for the preparation of nucleic acid microarrays, and for the preparation of hydrogels and other materials used in tissue engineering.