Nanotechnology in Glycomics: Applications in Diagnostics, Therapy, Imaging, and Separation Processes

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Analytical Chemistry
• Materials Science

Background:

• Glycomics, the study of carbohydrates, is crucial for understanding biological processes.
• Nanomaterials offer unique properties beneficial for glycomics applications.
• Recent advancements have focused on integrating nanomaterials into glycomic tools and therapies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review recent (post-2013) achievements in nanomaterial integration within glycomics.
• To highlight the utility of nanomaterials in biosensing, diagnostics, and therapeutics.
• To discuss nanomaterial-enabled glycan enrichment and analysis techniques.

Main Methods:

• Review of literature on nanomaterial applications in glycomics since 2013.
• Analysis of nanomaterial properties relevant to biosensor construction.
• Examination of glycan-nanomaterial conjugates for biomedical uses.
• Description of nanomaterial-based glycan enrichment and mass spectrometry analysis.

Main Results:

• Nanomaterials significantly enhance biosensors and bioanalytical devices for detecting viruses and cells.
• Glycan-nanomaterial conjugates show promise in vaccines, cancer therapy, in vivo imaging, and drug delivery.
• Nanomaterials facilitate effective glycan enrichment and subsequent mass spectrometry analysis.
• Novel techniques like microengine-based glycoprofiling are emerging.

Conclusions:

• Nanomaterials are transformative in advancing glycomics research and applications.
• The integration of nanomaterials offers improved sensitivity, specificity, and novel functionalities.
• Future directions include further development of nanomaterial-based glycomic tools and therapies.