Solid-phase chemical tools for glycobiology

Techniques involving solid supports have played crucial roles in the development of genomics, proteomics, and in molecular biology in general. Similarly, methods for immobilization or attachment to surfaces and resins have become ubiquitous in sequencing, synthesis, analysis, and screening of oligonucleotides, peptides, and proteins. However, solid-phase tools have been employed to a much lesser extent in glycobiology and glycomics. This review provides a comprehensive overview of solid-phase chemical tools for glycobiology including methodologies and applications. We provide a broad perspective of different approaches, including some well-established ones, such as immobilization in microtiter plates and to cross-linked polymers. Emerging areas such as glycan microarrays and glycan sequencing, quantum dots, and gold nanoparticles for nanobioscience applications are also discussed. The applications reviewed here include enzymology, immunology, elucidation of biosynthesis, and systems biology, as well as first steps toward solid-supported sequencing. From these methods and applications emerge a general vision for the use of solid-phase chemical tools in glycobiology.