Chemoselective approaches to glycoprotein assembly

Oligosaccharides on proteins and lipids play central roles in human health and disease. The molecular analysis of glycoconjugate function has benefite d tremendously from new methods for their chemical synthesis, which provide s homogeneous material not attainable from biosynthetic systems. Still, gly coconjugate synthesis requires the manipulation of multiple stereocenters a nd protecting groups and remains the domain of a few expert laboratories ar ound the world. This Account summarizes chemoselective approaches for assem bling homogeneous glycoconjugates that attempt to reduce the barriers to th eir synthesis. The objective of these methods is to make glycoconjugate syn thesis accessible to a broader community, thereby accelerating progress in glycobiology.