A new family of synthetic carbohydrate receptors

由于这些底物的亲水性，合成碳水化合物受体的设计特别具有挑战性。该项目是基于最近发现的一个具有惊人强度和选择性的受体家族。这项研究的目的是开发这些受体的应用，并扩大其范围。潜在的应用包括与糖尿病治疗相关的葡萄糖传感和葡萄糖响应胰岛素，而结构的变化可能导致系统解决更广泛的目标。

The design of synthetic carbohydrate receptors is exceptionally challenging because of the hydrophilicity of these substrates. This project is based on the recent discovery of a family of receptors with surprising strength and selectivity. The research will be aimed at developing applications of these receptors as well as extending their scope. Potential applications include glucose sensing and glucose-responsive insulin, relevant to the treatment of diabetics, while variations in structure may lead to systems addressing a wider range of targets.