Solution properties of capsular polysaccharides from Streptococcus pneumoniae

► Capsular polysaccharides for vaccines - physical properties crucial. ► 10 serotypes of Streptococcus pneumoniae: heterogeneity and conformation. ► Independent methods, AUC and light scattering, viscosity, chromatography. ► Unimodal distributions with wide range of average molecular weights. ► HYDFIT and other analyses show semi-flexible, persistence lengths 4-9 nm.