The University of Georgia
the Boons Group
--Contract Research
Complex Carbohydrate Research Center
Service Synthesis Laboratory - Tailormade Syntheses to Suit Your Needs
The Boons Group's Service Synthesis Laboratory (SSL) offers the custom synthesis of oligosaccharides, glycoconjugates and related compounds using the latest synthetic technologies. We are committed to aiding industrial and academic laboratories in their efforts to explore the biological and pharmaceutical roles of carbohydrates and glycoconjugates. The capabilities of the SSL fall into four main areas.
Oligosaccharide Synthesis: Recent advances in the chemical and enzymatic synthesis of oligosaccharides have rendered possible the reliable preparation of a wide range of oligosaccharides. We have developed highly convergent methods for the rapid assembly of oligosaccharides using a combination of chemical and enzymatic approaches. We are able to synthesize both small (mg) and large (multigram) quantities of oligosaccharides. The state of the art analytical facilities of the CCRC enable us to perform detailed analyses of the molecules we synthesize to ensure final products of the highest quality.
Library Synthesis: Biological studies often require large collections of oligosaccharides to study the relationship between structure and function. The advances afforded by combinatorial chemistry enable us to prepare collections of compounds more quickly and efficiently. We have developed both solution and solid-phase combinatorial approaches for the synthesis of oligosaccharide libraries and can also prepare libraries of chemically modified saccharides. The combinatorial synthesis of oligosaccharide libraries can be performed in a parallel fashion or as a mix and split approach.
Clustered Oligosaccharides and Glycomimetics: Several disadvantages are commonly associated with the use of complex oligosaccharides as therapeutic agents. Oftentimes they display unfavorable pharmacokinetics as well as poor metabolic stability and oral absorption. In addition, many carbohydrates bind to a protein with low affinity (mmol or m mol range), a property which complicates their use as drugs. These problems have been addressed in the design and synthesis of compounds derived from saccharides with more favorable pharmacological properties. In general, multivalent saccharides display much higher binding affinities and selectivities compared to monomeric carbohydrate ligands. We have developed combinatorial approaches for synthesizing collections of multivalent saccharides and are also able to synthesize glycomimetics.
Glycoconjugates: Many biologically important saccharides are attached to lipids or proteins. We are able to synthesize naturally occurring glycolipids and glycoproteins as well as neoglycolipids and neoglycopeptides, and can perform the conjugation of saccharides to proteins.
For further information regarding custom syntheses, please contact:
Dr. Geert-Jan Boons
Complex Carbohydrate Research Center
University of Georgia
315 Riverbend Road
Athens , Georgia 30602-4712 USA
Phone: 706-542-9161
Fax: 706-542-4412
Email: gjboons@ccrc.uga.edu
Additional Services of the Complex Carbohydrate Research Center: The CCRC offers the routine composition and sequence analysis of complex carbohydrates of plant, microbe or animal origin. Specialized mass spectrometric and NMR spectroscopic analyses can also be performed, as well as the computer modeling of small and large molecules and receptors and their ligands. The broad expertise of the CCRC faculty allows comprehensive service for multifaceted projects. Please visit the CCRC website www.ccrc.uga.edu for detailed information regarding the full extent of the CCRC's services.
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