Enabling Technologies in Carbohydrate Chemistry: Automated Glycan Assembly, Flow Chemistry and Data Science

Area of Science:

• Carbohydrate Chemistry
• Biotechnology
• Chemical Engineering

Background:

• The synthesis of defined oligosaccharides is a challenging area in chemistry.
• Recent technological advancements have aimed to simplify and improve synthetic access to these biomolecules.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe technological solutions that have advanced glycochemistry.
• To highlight the synergistic potential of these technologies for future progress.
• To showcase progress toward automated glycan synthesis.

Main Methods:

• Automated glycan assembly (AGA)
• Flow chemistry
• Data science integration

Main Results:

• These technologies offer powerful tools for complex oligosaccharide synthesis.
• Synergies between AGA, flow chemistry, and data science accelerate progress.
• Demonstrated advancements toward a self-driving laboratory for glycan synthesis.

Conclusions:

• The integration of advanced technologies is transforming glycochemistry.
• Future research can leverage these synergies for more efficient and automated glycan synthesis.
• The development of a self-driving lab for glycans is an achievable goal.