Biological Significance of Sialic Acid

Sialic acids are carbohydrates that occur in living creatures. It is widely present in various organisms such as plants, animals, and bacteria, especially on the surface of the cells and molecules of the organism. Thus, sialosides are complex molecules formed by combining sialic acid and other glycans. These complexes play many important biological functions, such as regulation of immune defense mechanisms, cell-cell interactions, pathogen recognition, and circulatory system. Thus, sialic acids and sialosides are closely related and they both have an important role in the maintenance of life processes. High-throughput screening (HTS) of sialic acids is a novel research method that allows rapid and efficient screening of sialic acids and related biomolecules. The feasibility and potential importance of some molecules in specific fields of research can be discovered relatively quickly using this technology.

Fig.1 Structure of neuraminic acid. (Wikipedia)

HTS of Sialic Acid at CD BioGlyco

Sialic acids are carbohydrates widely existing in organisms, and they are of great importance in a variety of biological processes. Screening and studying the role of sialic acid in many biological processes provide important insights for understanding the mechanisms of life and studying drug targets. CD BioGlyco offers professional high-throughput sialic acid screening services to our clients. The services we provide include but are not limited:

• HTS of sialic acid using combinatorial chemoenzymatic synthesis strategy
  We use combinatorial chemistry to perform HTS by constructing combinations of multiple sialic acid samples based on chemical synthesis and enzyme-catalyzed reactions.
• HTS of sialic acid using Mass Spectrum
  We use both matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization (MALDI) and electrospray (ESI) methods for rapid and efficient identification of a wide range of sialic acids. Using high throughput mass spectrometry, the results of the screening can be detected quickly and accurately.
• HTS of sialic acid using Hydrophilic Interaction Chromatography (HILIC)
  Sialic acid is acidic, and it can be modified by negatively charged groups to increase retention in HILIC. Therefore, this will improve its sensitivity and selectivity for HTS of sialic acid.

Fig 2. The technologies for HTS of sialic acid. (CD BioGlyco)

Applications

• Glycan drug development and evaluation
• Studies on the interaction of sialic acid with other biomolecules
• Investigating the biological functions and regulatory mechanisms of sialic acid

Advantages of Us

• Wide range of applications
• High sensitivity and specificity
• High throughput and high selectivity

CD BioGlyco has a highly specialized sialic acid HTS service, and we are able to meet the specific needs of our clients in terms of the experimental protocol, implementation process, and analysis of results. If you are interested in our services, please contact us for more details.