# Chromatically Orthogonal Photolabile Protecting Groups for the Parallel On-Chip Synthesis of High-Density Glycan Microarrays

> **NIH NIH R21** · IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY · 2024 · $205,151

## Abstract

Abstract. The objective of this research is to identify carbohydrate-compatible photolabile protecting groups
and light sources to facilitate the parallel on-surface synthesis of high-density glycan microarrays—e.g. glycan
chips—in a manner similar to the synthesis of gene chips. Instead of using monochromatic light and a single
photolabile protecting group to spatially control the extension of a linear polymer (DNA) on the microchip, as in
gene chip manufacture, irradiation with different wavelengths of light combined with wavelength-selective tem-
porary protecting groups will allow for constructing complex, branched glycans on a microchip surface. I aim to:
(1) identify carbohydrate-compatible photolabile protecting groups and optimal light sources to pair with each;
and (2) identify a pair of wavelength-selective (`chromatically orthogonal') protecting groups and demonstrate
their use in branched glycan synthesis, paving the way towards the parallel on-chip synthesis of high-density
glycan microarrays. Wavelength-selective photochemistry will be achieved by separating the absorptions of pho-
tolabile protecting groups to allow for selective excitation. Such high-density combinatorially-synthesized glycan
chips are expected to permit rapid epitope mapping and screening of the selectivity of glycan binding partners.
For example, exposing a dye-labeled lectin, antibody, or virus/bacteria/pathogen binding protein to the chip will
allow its binding specificity for numerous glycan structures to be determined from a single experiment. The ability
to synthesize high-density combinatorial libraries of carbohydrates will aid in resolving the structure-function
relationships of carbohydrates, help to understand the target epitopes of glycan binding partners, and accelerate
efforts to uncover the structure and function of the glycome.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10891709
- **Project number:** 5R21GM151612-02
- **Recipient organization:** IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Arthur H. Winter
- **Activity code:** R21 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $205,151
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2023-08-01 → 2026-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10891709

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10891709, Chromatically Orthogonal Photolabile Protecting Groups for the Parallel On-Chip Synthesis of High-Density Glycan Microarrays (5R21GM151612-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10891709. Licensed CC0.

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