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Research

The research program of Seeberger´s group is focused on elucidating the role of complex oligosaccharides involved in a host of biological processes of medical relevance by employing molecular tools created by synthetic chemistry.

We are particularly interested in understanding the recognition events responsible for the interactions of oligosaccharides with proteins that control cell growth, cell differentiation, cell-cell interactions, bacterial attachment to target cells and signaling events involving the extracellular matrix.

To address these questions we are developing and applying techniques traditionally associated with the areas of organic synthesis, solid phase chemistry, combinational chemistry, engineering and automation, analytical chemistry, biochemistry, enzymology, molecular biology, neurobiology, immunology and drug design. The core interests our research program currently address the following areas: Automated oligosaccharide synthesis, Total Synthesis of Biologically of important Oligosaccharides, Chemical Synthesis and Biochemistry Proteoglycans, Total Synthesis and Biological Activity of Glycosylphosphatidylinositols, Development of Carbohydrate-based Vaccines, Microreactors for Organic Synthesis, Carbohydrate Microarrays, Nanoparticles and Colloidal Polymers.