Call For Papers: Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are among the most abundant and diverse biomolecules, underpinning fundamental biological processes while offering immense opportunities for innovation across chemistry, biology, bioengineering, and medicine. Recent advances in analytical, computational, synthetic, and systems-level approaches have transformed researchers’ ability to interrogate carbohydrate structure and function, revealing deeper roles in metabolism, signaling, infection, and human health.

From glycomics and carbohydrate-active enzymes to materials, therapeutics, and metabolic engineering, the field is experiencing renewed momentum. This Special Issue by 16 participating ACS journals, in partnership with the ACS Division of Carbohydrate Chemistry & Chemical Glycobiology, invites contributions that showcase cutting-edge research and interdisciplinary perspectives, highlighting how carbohydrate science is reshaping our understanding of biology and enabling novel translational applications. Authors are encouraged to select the journal that best aligns with their research focus and publishing preferences.

Topics include, but are not limited to:

• Carbohydrate-binding proteins
• Carbohydrate active enzymes
• Carbohydrate-based natural products
• Glycoproteins, glycolipids, proteoglycans, and glyco-modified nucleic acids
• Glucose/carbohydrate metabolism
• Metabolic engineering related to carbohydrates
• Chemoenzymatic synthesis and biosynthesis of complex carbohydrates
• Self-assembly of glycopolymers into micelles, vesicles, nanofibers, or higher-order structures
• Carbohydrate polymers, carbohydrate materials, and biomaterials, including natural and designed species
• Carbohydrates and mimics thereof in probes, drug and inhibitor discovery and delivery
• Carbohydrate-inspired/derived vaccines and immunotherapies
• Glycobiology, including signaling, immunity, and host-microbe interactions
• Carbohydrates in health and disease, including new insights into obesity, diabetes, and cancer
• Chemical modifications of carbohydrates and glycoconjugates in biological stress and disease
• Chemical toxicology or safety evaluations of carbohydrate-based molecules and materials
• Carbohydrate-mediated biological responses to chemical exposure
• New methods and tools to interrogate or track carbohydrates in biological systems
• Carbohydrate-based diagnostics and detection tools
• Glycomics and glycobioinformatics
• Computational modeling that provides new insights into carbohydrate structure or function
• Fundamental studies of carbohydrate structures, spectra and intermolecular interactions

Participating Journals

This joint Special Issue will be hosted across the following journals:

ACS Applied Bio Materials
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ACS Biomaterials Science & Engineering
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ACS Bio & Med Chem Au (fully open access)
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ACS Chemical Biology
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ACS Infectious Diseases
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ACS Pharmacology and Translational Science
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ACS Synthetic Biology
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Biochemistry
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Bioconjugate Chemistry
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Biomacromolecules
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Chemical Research in Toxicology
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Journal of the American Society for Mass Spectrometry
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Journal of Natural Products
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Journal of Physical Chemistry A
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Journal of Physical Chemistry B
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Journal of Proteome Research
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Organizing Editors

Lai-Xi Wang, ACS Division of Carbohydrate Chemistry & Chemical Glycobiology
University of Maryland, United States

Xuefei Huang, ACS Division of Carbohydrate Chemistry & Chemical Glycobiology
Michigan State University, United States

Jessica Kramer Stratton, Associate Editor, Biomacromolecules
University of Utah, United States

Laura Hartmann, Associate Editor, Bioconjugate Chemistry
University of Freiburg, Germany

Keiji Numata, Executive Editor, ACS Biomaterials Science & Engineering
Kyoto University, Japan

Submission Information

We welcome submissions for this Special Issue through September 30, 2026. For more information on submission requirements, please visit the journal’s Author Guidelines page using the links above.

All standard research article formats in use at each journal will be suitable for submissions. Information on each journal’s format standards can be found here. Authors interested in contributing opinion or review content should contact their journal of choice to confirm the journal is open to considering their manuscript.

Papers accepted for publication for this Special Issue will be available ASAP (as soon as publishable) online. After all submissions have been published, they will then be compiled online on a dedicated landing page to form the Special Issue. Manuscripts submitted for consideration will undergo the full rigorous peer review process expected from ACS journals.

How to Submit

• Log in to the ACS Publishing Center.
• Choose your preferred journal listed above.
• Select your manuscript type, and, under "Special Issue Selection," choose “Carbohydrates."
  • Reminder: If you are submitting to JPC A or JPC B, please make a note in your cover letter.

If you have any questions regarding submission to this Special Issue, please contact the journal offices using the links above.