A Al ll l e en nq qu ui ir ri ie es s a an nd d m ma an nu us sc cr ri ip pt ts s s sh ho ou ul ld d b be e d di ir re ec ct te ed d t to o: : Volume 55, 2002 © CSIRO 2002 publishing research papers from all fields of chemical science, including synthesis, structure, new materials, macromolecules, supramolecular chemistry, biological chemistry, nanotechnology, surface chemistry, and analytical techniques.Large-ring cyclodextrins (LR-CD) are cyclic α-1,4-glucans composed of nine to more than several hundred glucopyranose units. Cyclodextrins are able to form highly specific inclusion complexes with a wide range of guest molecules thereby modifying their physicochemical properties. Only in the past 10 years, LR-CD with a degree of polymerization between 9 and 32 have been isolated and characterized. The structures of these LR-CD show novel features distinct from those of the extensively studied α-, β-, and γ-CD composed of six, seven, and eight glucopyranose units, respectively. Recent work on the enzymatic synthesis of LR-CD has confirmed the ability of different 4-α-glucanotransferases to form large cyclic α-1,4-glucans from amylose and amylopectin, depending on the specificity of the enzyme used and on the substrate and reaction conditions chosen. The potential of LR-CD for specific host-guest interactions and corresponding applications has been demonstrated. . His fields of research include: enzyme technology for the modification and synthesis of carbohydrates from renewable biomass and related industrial applications, molecular recognition, analytical methods for the analysis of carbohydrates, novel enzymes and their application in biotechnology, biotechnology in the paper and textile industry.