Modern Carbohydrate Microarray Biochip Technologies

Carbohydrate microarray (glycochip) is one of modern biotechnologies for monitoring the molecular interactions between carbohydrate ligands and other biomacromolecules. It is characterized by microscale, rapid response, high sensitivity and high-throughput. It is widely applicable in many research and development fields, including, but not limited to, biology, medicine, clinical diagnostics, drug development, biomaterial and biological reagent industry. This article intends to summarize the methods that are currently used for the construction of glycochips. We focus on the immobilization of either chemically modified or non-modified carbohydrates to solid surfaces and self-assembly procedures for the production of three-dimensional glycochips. Current challenges and future trends in the research and development of glycochips are also discussed.