Overview

Advanced chemical and enzymatic methods have enabled the synthesis of various saccharides. CD BioGlyco has developed highly integrated approaches that can combine chemical and enzymatic methods to quickly compose saccharide-related products. We can complete small (mg) and large (g) quantities of saccharides and transfer the technology to a bulk manufacturing plant. All our final products will be thoroughly analyzed by our advanced technologies such as mass spectrometry and high field NMR to ensure quality.

Our team of professionals, most with a Ph.D. degree, is highly skilled in the areas of carbohydrate, nucleosidation, glycosylation, high purity complex products, and synthetic route development. We are proficient in the design and customization of complex multi-step reaction schemes and provide customers with customized overall solutions in the fields of biopharmaceuticals, therapy, and diagnosis to develop saccharides and saccharide-related molecules.

Key Technologies

Enzymatic synthesis; Chemical synthesis

Precision-Crafted Sugars, Scientifically Defined

We leverage a comprehensive array of established and innovative techniques to ensure the successful and efficient construction of even the most challenging carbohydrate structures. Our core technologies include both enzymatic and chemical synthesis approaches. Enzymatic synthesis offers unparalleled stereo- and regioselectivity, mimicking natural biosynthetic pathways to create complex glycans with high fidelity.

Workflow

Case Study: High-Precision Custom Synthesis of Complex Carbohydrate Derivatives

• Background

Carbohydrate derivatives are invaluable tools in glycobiology, medicinal chemistry, and drug discovery. However, their synthesis presents notorious challenges due to multiple hydroxyl groups requiring precise stereochemical and regioselective manipulation. A client approached CD BioGlyco, requiring a structurally diverse library of custom carbohydrate derivatives. The request demanded the parallel synthesis of core parent molecules and their respective chemically modified counterparts to support their downstream biological evaluations.

• The Challenge

The project required the design, synthesis, and strict quality control of 22 target carbohydrate derivative compounds in parallel. The structural diversity consisted of two main series:

• 11 Core Parent Compounds: Featuring variations in functional groups attached to the carbohydrate ring (including primary amides, secondary amides with methyl, ethyl, and propyl chains, as well as distinct bulky branched alkyl chains like tert-butyl, sec-butyl, and isobutyl groups).
• 11 Acetylated Derivatives: The completely acetylated forms corresponding to each core parent molecule, demanding absolute conversion and high purity.

The primary hurdle lay in achieving high purity across varying scales (ranging from 2 mg to over 50 mg) while dealing with structurally delicate functional groups and differing physical properties.

• Our Solution & Synthesis Strategy

Leveraging our advanced carbohydrate chemistry platform, our technical team established a robust protocol to execute the custom organic synthesis. Our expert chemists successfully completed the multi-step synthesis for all 22 target compounds:

• Functional Group Fine-Tuning: Precise control over nitrogen- and carbon-linked substitutions on the glycone backbone, navigating from unalkylated amides up to long-branched alkyl side chains.
• Regioselective Acetylation: Designed optimal esterification pathways to smoothly convert the core molecules into their corresponding fully acetylated target derivatives without affecting neighboring functional groups or risking epimerization.

• Results & Quality Control Specifications

All 22 target compounds were successfully delivered, meeting or exceeding the structural validation and purity requirements specified by the client. Every single batch underwent rigorous analytical screening using state-of-the-art liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) and high-resolution proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (¹H NMR).

Fig.1 LC-MS spectrum of Target 1. (CD BioGlyco)

Fig.2 ¹H NMR spectrum of Target 1 (DMSO). (CD BioGlyco)

Fig.3 ¹H NMR spectrum of Target 1 (DMSO-D₂O). (CD BioGlyco)

• Client Project Management & Experience

At CD BioGlyco, we value scientific transparency and reliable execution:

• Seamless Onboarding: The client was paired with a senior project manager who designed a customized synthetic protocol aligned precisely with their target structural requirements.
• Active Communication: Regular progress reports were delivered to keep the client updated on intermediate steps and quality control milestones.
• IP Protection: Full intellectual property rights and raw analytical files were safely transferred to the client upon project completion under strict confidentiality terms.

Publication Data

Applications

• Generating fluorescently or radio-labeled glycans to track metabolism, localization, and interactions within cells and organisms.
• Creating affinity tags (e.g., biotinylated glycans) for isolating and characterizing glycan-binding proteins.
• Developing activity-based probes (ABPs) for studying enzyme activity in complex biological samples.

Advantages of Us

• Expertise in both enzymatic synthesis (for natural fidelity) and advanced chemical synthesis (for diverse scaffolds) provides unmatched flexibility.
• Enzymatic synthesis utilizing glycosyltransferases/glycosidases ensures unparalleled stereo- and regioselectivity, enabling complex structures.
• The integrated approach combining synthesis and advanced analytics guarantees stringent quality control, optimizing yield, purity, and structural integrity.

Frequently Asked Questions

Associated Services

The synthesis laboratory at CD BioGlyco uses the most advanced synthesis technology to provide customers with the customized synthesis of oligosaccharides, polysaccharides, sugar-nucleotides, and carbohydrate antigens. Our mission is to help academic laboratories and industries explore the biological and pharmaceutical effects of saccharides. If you have any further queries, please contact us directly for more detailed information.