Focus on Glyconanotechnology

In an article published in Chemical Society Review the field of GlycoNanoTechnology is presented in a very comprehensive way that illustrates fully the scope of applications of newly developed methods. The review which is co-authored by three key scientists in the field of glycoscience and nanotechnology describes how new glyco-materials with improved design and synergistic properties derived from glycoscience concept and achievements will lead to future devices. Recent achievements serve to delineate the wide range of application in biology and health sciences.

These are the use of glyco-nanomaterials as multivalent scaffolds for drug delivery, enzyme inhibition, and for vaccine development. Their potential in the field of molecular imaging is high as illustrated by the use of glycan functionalized quantum dots and nanoparticles, or functional biosensors for lectin/glycan detection based on nanomaterials. New applications in the field of affinity separation and analysis using nanomaterials or nanotools are also suggested. This article is important as it indicates a route to be taken to establish firmly the contribution of glycoscience to some application-oriented entries in the growing field of nanotechnology which has for the time being neglecting the unique features that glycoconjugate offer.