Automated Synthesis of Oligosaccharides Provides Access to Chemical Tools and Vaccine Candidates

Defined, pure oligosaccharides are important tools for biologists to study the structure and function of carbohydrates in biological systems and to create novel diagnostic and therapeutic approaches. Access to reasonable quantities of sufficiently pure oligosaccharides by isolation is difficult and time consuming. Synthetic chemists are therefore called upon to develop straightforward and reliable methods to produce carbohydrates. These molecules are key to the creation of molecular tools and vaccine candidate molecules. A brief overview of the state-of-the-art of automated synthesis is followed by some illustrative examples to highlight applications.