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Carbohydrate & Polysaccharide Bioconjugation Services

Bio-Synthesis offers carbohydrate and polysaccharide bioconjugation services, including glycoconjugates, GalNAc–siRNA and oligonucleotide conjugation, glycopolymers, polysaccharide–protein and polysaccharide–drug carriers for improved targeting, solubility, stability and diagnostic performance across discovery, preclinical and OEM programs.

Speak to a Scientist Overview Carbohydrate & Polysaccharide Types
Glycoconjugate & Vaccine Support Carbohydrate & Polysaccharide Carriers GalNAc & Oligonucleotide Conjugation End-to-End Bioconjugation Texas, USA
Overview Carbohydrates & Polysaccharides Bioconjugate Design & Applications Conjugation Chemistries Speak to a Scientist

Carbohydrate and polysaccharide bioconjugation schematic, Bio-Synthesis overview Overview

Bio-Synthesis provides comprehensive carbohydrate and polysaccharide bioconjugation services, including the development of glycoconjugates, multivalent polysaccharide carriers, glycopolymers, GalNAc-decorated ligands and surface-immobilized systems. Our platforms support targeted delivery, molecular stabilization, receptor engagement and diagnostic applications across discovery and preclinical programs.

Carbohydrate and polysaccharide bioconjugation involves attaching mono-, oligo- or polysaccharide structures to therapeutic or diagnostic payloads—such as drugs, peptides, proteins, oligonucleotides, polymers, nanoparticles or solid surfaces—to optimize solubility, targeting specificity, multivalency and biological recognition.

These hydrophilic, highly tunable scaffolds provide matrices with controlled densities of reactive functional groups. By combining carbohydrate and polysaccharide scaffolds with ligands or payloads, glycoconjugates enable precise ligand spacing, multivalent presentation, stealthing, immune and receptor engagement, as well as robust immobilization for analytical and diagnostic workflows.

Bio-Synthesis delivers end-to-end carbohydrate and polysaccharide conjugation solutions, from monosaccharide ligands and glycan tags to high-molecular-weight polysaccharide carriers and GalNAc–oligonucleotide platforms. Our team designs scaffold architectures, selects optimal conjugation chemistries and provides full analytical characterization tailored for discovery, preclinical and OEM/diagnostic programs.

Carbohydrate / Polysaccharide Carrier
Dextran · HA · Chitosan · Pullulan · Cellulose
Conjugation Chemistry
Reductive Amination · EDC/NHS · Click · Thiol
Payload
Drug · Oligonucleotide · Protein · Peptide · Dye
Targeted Delivery & Targeting

Glycoconjugates based on GalNAc, mannose and other ligands for hepatocyte, immune and receptor-mediated targeting, alongside polysaccharide carriers for multivalent display of drugs, peptides and oligonucleotides.

Immobilization & Assays

Dextran, cellulose and chitosan-based surfaces for chip, bead and plate immobilization, biosensor coatings, affinity matrices and glycan arrays with controlled ligand density and orientation.

Stabilization & Stealth

Hydrophilic polysaccharide shells reduce nonspecific binding, extend circulation, improve solubility and tune viscosity or rheology in delivery and diagnostic systems.

Carbohydrate and polysaccharide bioconjugation can be combined with broader bioconjugation services, oligonucleotide bioconjugation and carrier delivery systems from Bio-Synthesis.

Carbohydrate & Polysaccharide Classes Used in Bioconjugation at Bio-Synthesis

Monosaccharides & Oligosaccharides
  • Glucose / Glucosamine — metabolic tags, hydrophilic modifiers and general glyco-labels.
  • Galactose / GalNAc — ligands for hepatocyte targeting via the asialoglycoprotein receptor (ASGPR).
  • Mannose / Mannan Fragments — ligands for mannose receptors on dendritic cells and macrophages.
  • Fucose — components of Lewis antigens and glycan motifs for cell-recognition studies.
  • Sialic Acids (e.g., Neu5Ac) — terminal residues for stealthing, trafficking and recognition.
Polysaccharide Scaffolds
  • Dextran & Derivatives — neutral, flexible carriers for multivalent drug, dye and ligand loading.
  • Hyaluronic Acid (HA) — CD44-binding polymer for tumor and stem-cell targeting and hydrogel matrices.
  • Chitosan & Chitosan Derivatives — cationic polysaccharide for nucleic acid delivery and mucoadhesive systems.
  • Pullulan — highly soluble carrier for imaging probes, drug conjugates and nanoparticles.
  • Cellulose Derivatives & Heparin — structural scaffolds, affinity matrices and controlled-release components.

Biological Target & Function
  • Use GalNAc clusters for hepatocyte targeting via ASGPR in siRNA/ASO delivery.
  • Select mannose/mannan for antigen-presenting cell and vaccine applications.
  • Choose HA when CD44 expression and tumor or stromal targeting are desired.
Formulation & Process Behavior
  • Balance charge (cationic chitosan vs neutral dextran) to control aggregation and payload binding.
  • Consider solubility, viscosity and degree of substitution (DoS) for scale-up and filtration.
  • Match polymer MW and branching to the intended route of administration and clearance profile.

Commonly Used Carbohydrates & Polysaccharides for Bioconjugation We Offer

The table below summarizes representative carbohydrates and polysaccharides frequently used by Bio-Synthesis and in the broader field for carbohydrate and polysaccharide bioconjugation. Scaffolds are grouped by their primary functional role in the conjugation or formulation strategy.

Carbohydrate / Polysaccharide Class / Role Reactive Group / Feature Typical Use in Bio-Synthesis
Glucose / Glucosamine Derivatives Monosaccharide label / solubility enhancer Hydroxyls; amine (glucosamine) General hydrophilic tagging, metabolic glycan-labeling, and spacer groups for proteins and peptides.
Galactose Monosaccharide ligand Hydroxyls; aldehyde after oxidation Glycan motifs for recognition studies, glycoprotein standards and affinity purification tools.
N-Acetylgalactosamine (GalNAc) Hepatocyte-targeting ligand Hydroxyls; amide; tailored handles Triantennary and clustered GalNAc–siRNA/ASO conjugates, including 5' Tri-GalNAc modified RNA, for liver-targeted nucleic acid delivery.
Mannose Immune-targeting ligand Hydroxyls; aldehyde after oxidation Mannose-decorated proteins, nanoparticles and polymers for APC targeting and vaccine constructs.
Mannan Oligosaccharides Multivalent immune scaffold Multiple sugar residues Higher-valency mannose presentations for enhanced receptor avidity and immune activation.
Fucose & Fucosylated Motifs Cell-recognition motif Hydroxyls; aldehyde after oxidation Glycan standards, selectin-binding ligands and glycoprotein engineering tools.
Sialic Acids (e.g., Neu5Ac) Terminal glycan / stealth motif Carboxylate, hydroxyls Stealth coatings, trafficking motifs and glycan-structure mimetics on proteins and nanoparticles.
Dextran (various MW) Neutral polysaccharide carrier Hydroxyls; aldehydes after oxidation Multivalent drug, dye, protein and antibody conjugation; size-increasing carrier for imaging agents.
Carboxymethyl Dextran Polyanionic polysaccharide Carboxylates, hydroxyls SPR chip surfaces, bead coatings and scaffold for EDC/NHS-mediated protein immobilization.
Hyaluronic Acid (HA) CD44-binding polysaccharide Carboxylates, hydroxyls HA–drug and HA–peptide conjugates for CD44+ tumor/stem cell targeting and HA-based hydrogels.
Chitosan Cationic polysaccharide Primary amines, hydroxyls Chitosan–DNA/RNA complexes, mucoadhesive formulations and nanoparticle-coated glycoconjugates.
Thiolated Chitosan Thiol-functional polysaccharide Thiol and amine groups Thiol–maleimide crosslinking and gelation; covalent immobilization of ligands and enzymes.
Pullulan Neutral, highly soluble polysaccharide Hydroxyls; aldehydes after oxidation Pullulan–drug, –dye and –protein conjugates for imaging, targeting and controlled release.
Cellulose Derivatives (CMC, HEC, HPC) Structural polysaccharide scaffold Hydroxyls; carboxylates (CMC) Hydrogel matrices, surface coatings and affinity supports for protein and ligand immobilization.
Heparin / Heparan Sulfate GAG binding scaffold Sulfates, carboxylates Heparin–protein conjugates and surfaces for growth-factor binding and controlled-release systems.
Azide- or Alkyne-Modified Sugars Click-ready carbohydrate ligands Azide or alkyne handles SPAAC/CuAAC attachment of sugars to proteins, peptides, oligonucleotides and nanoparticles.

Additional specialty carbohydrates and proprietary polysaccharides can be integrated on request, including custom branching, MW ranges, reactive handles (azide, alkyne, thiol, aminooxy) and pre-activated derivatives.

Carbohydrate & Polysaccharide Bioconjugate Design & Applications

Bioconjugate Architectures
  • Polysaccharide–Protein Conjugates for glycoconjugate vaccines and immunoassays.
  • Sugar–Peptide & Sugar–Protein Conjugates mimicking natural glycosylation patterns.
  • Carbohydrate–Oligonucleotide Conjugates including GalNAc–siRNA/ASO, glyco-aptamers and glyco-modified oligonucleotides.
  • Polysaccharide–Drug Conjugates acting as prodrugs, depots and solubility enhancers.
Design Considerations
  • Choice of scaffold (mono-, oligo-, polysaccharide) based on valency, size and clearance goals.
  • Degree of substitution (DoS) and distribution of attachment sites on the carbohydrate backbone.
  • Linker type (cleavable vs non-cleavable) and stability in serum, endosome or target tissue.
  • Compatibility with downstream formulation, filtration, sterilization and lyophilization steps.

  • Dextran–protein and dextran–enzyme conjugates as calibration standards and imaging probes.
  • HA–drug and HA–peptide conjugates for CD44+ tumor targeting with controlled release and localization.
  • Mannose-decorated proteins and nanoparticles for dendritic-cell targeting in vaccine and immunotherapy programs.
  • GalNAc–siRNA and GalNAc–ASO conjugates tuned for hepatocyte uptake in liver-targeted gene-silencing projects.
  • Carbohydrate-coated plates and beads for lectin binding assays, serology tests and glycan-recognition studies.
Case Study: 5' Tri-GalNAc Modified RNA — GalNAc–Oligonucleotide Conjugation
5' Tri-GalNAc modified RNA GalNAc–oligonucleotide conjugation services by Bio-Synthesis
5' Tri-GalNAc modified RNA case study. ESI and HPLC confirm precise GalNAc–oligonucleotide conjugates generated by Bio-Synthesis for hepatocyte-targeted delivery.

Conjugation Workflows & Chemistries

Carbohydrate / Polysaccharide Scaffold
Dextran · HA · Chitosan · Pullulan · Mono/Oligosaccharides
Conjugation Chemistry
Reductive Amination · EDC/NHS · Oxime/Hydrazone · Click
Payload
Antibody · Protein · Peptide · Oligo · Drug · Dye
Common Conjugation Strategies
  • Periodate Oxidation & Reductive Amination — oxidation of vicinal diols to aldehydes, followed by Schiff base formation and reduction to stable C–N linkages.
  • EDC/NHS Coupling — activation of carboxyl groups on HA, CMC or heparin for amide bond formation with primary amines.
  • Oxime & Hydrazone Ligation — reaction of aldehyde/ketone-modified carbohydrates with aminooxy or hydrazide-bearing ligands.
  • Thiol–Maleimide & Michael-Type Additions — for thiolated carbohydrates or polysaccharides and maleimide-functional payloads.
  • Azide–Alkyne Click Chemistry (SPAAC/CuAAC) — Cu-free or Cu-catalyzed attachment of azide/alkyne-labeled sugars to complementary ligands.
Workflow Highlights
  • Selection of carbohydrate scaffold, activation route and linker based on payload and application.
  • Control of substitution level, site bias and multivalency for reproducible potency and binding.
  • Purification via chromatography, dialysis, TFF and/or precipitation depending on MW and matrix.
  • QC including composition, degree of substitution, binding activity, size, charge and stability.

Carbohydrate / Polysaccharide
Preferred scaffold (mono-, oligo-, polysaccharide), MW range, source and any existing functionalization.
Payload
Identity (drug, peptide, protein, antibody, oligo, dye), available functional groups and desired conjugation site(s).
Design Goals
Intended application (vaccine, targeting, imaging, coating), required valency, expected stability and route of administration.
QC & Documentation
Required tests (DoS, binding activity, size, residuals), acceptance criteria and documentation needs for internal or OEM use.

Technical Summary — Carbohydrate & Polysaccharide Platform

Workflow
  • Initial design review (scaffold selection, payload, target receptor, immune/readout goals).
  • Conjugation route scouting, including oxidation/reductive amination, EDC/NHS or click strategies.
  • Optimization of degree of substitution, linker chemistry and reaction conditions.
  • Purification and polishing via chromatography, dialysis and/or TFF.
  • QC panel and documentation aligned to research, preclinical or OEM requirements.
Controls & Comparators
  • Unconjugated carbohydrate/polysaccharide and free payload controls.
  • Formulations with varied substitution levels, linker types or carbohydrate scaffolds.
  • Cleavable vs non-cleavable linkers and alternative attachment positions on payloads.
  • Functional benchmarks including receptor binding, cell uptake, potency and stability.
Analytics & Documentation
  • Characterization of degree of substitution, composition, size and charge as applicable.
  • Binding assays (lectin, receptor, antibody), activity assays and stability profiles.
  • Residual reagent/solvent and endotoxin testing where required.
  • Certificates of Analysis and optional method and process descriptions for tech transfer.

FAQ

What is carbohydrate and polysaccharide bioconjugation?

Carbohydrate and polysaccharide bioconjugation refers to attaching mono-, oligo- or polysaccharide scaffolds to drugs, peptides, proteins, antibodies, nanoparticles or oligonucleotides to improve targeting, solubility, immunogenicity, pharmacokinetics and analytical performance.

Which carbohydrate and polysaccharide types can you work with?

We routinely work with glucose/glucosamine, galactose/GalNAc, mannose/mannan, fucose, sialic acids, dextran and dextran derivatives, hyaluronic acid, chitosan and thiolated chitosan, pullulan, cellulose derivatives and heparin, along with client-supplied specialty carbohydrates.

What conjugation chemistries are commonly used?

Typical chemistries include periodate oxidation followed by reductive amination, EDC/NHS coupling of carboxyl to amines, oxime/hydrazone ligation to aldehydes/ketones, thiol–maleimide coupling with thiolated sugars and azide–alkyne click chemistry with appropriately functionalized partners.

Can you prepare GalNAc–siRNA or GalNAc–ASO conjugates?

Yes. We can design and synthesize GalNAc-bearing ligands and conjugate them to siRNA or ASO payloads using suitable linkers and attachment sites, followed by purification and analytical characterization for hepatocyte-targeted delivery.

Do you support polysaccharide–protein conjugates for vaccine research?

Yes. We support polysaccharide–protein conjugates, including carrier-protein coupling, linker selection, degree-of-substitution optimization and QC to enable vaccine and immunology studies.

Can you coat plates, beads or chips with carbohydrates?

Yes. We can immobilize carbohydrates and polysaccharides on plates, beads and chip surfaces using covalent or affinity strategies to generate tools for lectin binding, serology, glycan mapping and other assays.

What information do you need to scope a carbohydrate project?

At minimum, we need your chosen or candidate carbohydrate scaffold, payload description and handles, intended application, target receptor or assay, desired substitution level and any critical performance metrics or constraints.

Do you provide material suitable for diagnostic kits or OEM use?

We support projects requiring enhanced documentation, lot control and stability programs suitable for diagnostic kit or OEM environments and can align release criteria with your internal standards.

Contact

Speak to a Carbohydrate & Polysaccharide Bioconjugation Scientist

Share your carbohydrate or polysaccharide scaffold, payload, application and performance goals. We will recommend a conjugation strategy, linker design, QC package and project scope aligned to your discovery, preclinical or diagnostic needs.

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Phone: +1-972-420-8505
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Recommended Reading & Bio-Synthesis Resources

  • Varki, A. et al. — Essentials of Glycobiology — foundational reference on carbohydrate structures, glycan recognition and glyco-biological mechanisms.
  • R. Roy — Multivalent glycoconjugates for lectin and receptor targeting in diagnostics and therapeutics.
  • G. T. Hermanson — Bioconjugate Techniques, 3rd Ed. — general reference for carbohydrate, polysaccharide and surface bioconjugation chemistries.
  • Bio-Synthesis, Inc. — Application notes, technical bulletins and white papers on carbohydrate and polysaccharide bioconjugation, available on request or via the Bio-Synthesis website.

Why Choose Bio-Synthesis

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Greetings Researchers,

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