Oligosaccharide microarrays for glycomics

Glycomics is an emerging field that was proposed at the end of the 20th century as a new concept to follow genomics and proteomics. Studies on glycans are indispensable to define complex life systems and cell communities because all living organisms consist of diverse cells, which are covered with an abundance of heterogeneous carbohydrates. Although studies on glycans are extremely difficult because of the lack of basic technologies common to DNAs and proteins, a few new aspects of glycotechnologies have now become realized in the form of ‘bio-chips’, which include ‘oligosaccharide arrays’ or ‘glyco-chips’. Recently, Fukui et al. developed oligosaccharide microarrays for glycomic amalysis of extensive carbohydrate-binding proteins. How and why such glyco-engineering projects have been made in the contexts of both pure and applied sciences is described.