Quantum Algebraic Symmetries in Nuclei and Molecules

Various applications of quantum algebraic techniques in nuclear and molecular physics are briefly reviewed. Emphasis is put in the study of the symmetries of the anisotropic quantum harmonic oscillator with rational ratios of frequencies, which underly the structure of superdeformed and hyperdeformed nuclei, the Bloch--Brink $\alpha$-cluster model and possibly the shell structure in deformed atomic clusters.