Foreword B. Lindman.- Introduction Challenges and opportunities in building a multinational, interdisciplinary research and education network on polysaccharides. Julie Navard, Patrick Navard -- Chapter 1 Etymology of main polysaccharide names. Pierre Avenas -- Chapter 2 Polysaccharides: molecular and supermolecular structures. Terminology. Thomas Heinze, Katrin Petzold-Welcke, Jan E.G. van Dam -- Chapter 3 Chemical characterisation of polysaccharides. Axel Rußler, Anna Bogolitsyna, Gerhard Zuckerstätter, Antje Potthast, Thomas Rosenau -- Chapter 4 Preparation and properties of cellulose solutions. Patrick Navard, Frank Wendler, Frank Meister, Maria Bercea, Tatiana Budtova -- Chapter 5 Cellulose products from solutions: film, fibres an aerogels. Frank Wendler, Thomas Schulze, D. Ciechanska Ewa Wesolowska, Dariusz Wawro, Frank Meister, Tatiana Budtova, Falk Liebner Chapter 6 Polysaccharide fibres in textiles. Fras Zemljic Lidija, Hribernik Silvo, Manian Avinash P., Öztürk Hale Bahar, Peršin Zdenka, Sfiligoj Smole Majda, Stana Kleinscheck Karin, Bechtold Thomas, Široká Barbora, Široký Ján -- Chapter 7 Cellulose and other polysaccharides surface properties and their characterisation. Karin Stana-Kleinschek,  Heike M.A. Ehmann, Stefan Spirk, Aleš Doliška, Hubert Fasl, Lidija Fras-Zemjlič, Rupert Kargl, Tamilselvan Mohan, Doris Breitwieser, Volker Ribitsch -- Chapter 8 Pulp fibres for papermaking and cellulose dissolution. Pedro Fardim, Tim Liebert, Thomas Heinze -- Chapter 9 Cellulose: chemistry of cellulose derivatisation. T. Heinze, A. Koschella, T. Liebert, V. Harabagiu, S. Coseri -- Chapter 10 Chitin and chitosan as functional biopolymers for industrial applications. I. Kardas, M.H. Struszczyk, M. Kucharska, L.A.M. van den Broek, J.E.G. van Dam, D. Ciechańska -- Chapter 11 Polysaccharide acting enzymes and their applications   A. Koivula, S. Voutilainen, J. Pere, K. Kruus, A. Suurnäkki, L.A.M. van den Broek, Robert Bakker, Steef Lips.  .

This book provides an essential overview of the science of polysaccharides. It both approaches polysaccharides as a polymer class and provides detailed descriptions of most major polysaccharides (cellulose, mannan, xylan, chitin-chitosan, cyclodextrines). Owing to the multidisciplinary character of the European Polysaccharide Network of Excellence (EPNOE), the book describes all main aspects of polysaccharide science and technology (biology, enzymology, physics, chemistry, materials science and processing). Notations and concepts follow a uniform format throughout the whole work in order to create a valuable reference book on the field of polysaccharide science. Owing to the major importance of industry in the EPNOE, concrete applications are also described in detail.