First, we introduce a novel, ready-to-use bioarray platform and methodology for construction of sensitive carbohydrate cluster microarrays. This technology utilizes a 3-dimensional (3-D) poly(amidoamine) starburst dendrimer monolayer assembled on glass surface, which is functionalized with terminal aminooxy and hydrazide groups for site-specific coupling of carbohydrates. A wide range of saccharides, including monosaccharides, oligosaccharides and polysaccharides of diverse structures, are applicable for the 3-D bioarray platform without prior chemical derivatization. The process of carbohydrate coupling is effectively accelerated by microwave radiation energy. The carbohydrate concentration required for microarray fabrication is substantially reduced using this technology. Importantly, this bioarray platform presents sugar chains in defined orientation and cluster configurations. It is, thus, uniquely useful for exploration of the structural and conformational diversities of glyco-epitope and their functional properties. Its potential in glycomics application is demonstrated by chip-display of a panel of glyco-epitopes for highly sensitive detection of carbohydrate-binding proteins and construction of sugar microarrays for differential detection of the Influenza hemagglutinins of H3N1 and H5N1.

We will also briefly introduce our recently research on the development of Au glyconanoparticles and fluorescent glycolnanoparticles, as well as the application of the glyconanoparticles for biotoxin detection and bio-imaging.