Single molecule sequencing of oligosaccharides, SingleCarb

Proteins and cell membranes in the animal kingdom contain one or more sugar, oligosaccharide chains. The position sequence and structure of these sugars control multiple vital biological processes: recognition for viral infections, they dictate protein degradation, and can therefore be used for early detection of diseases. We are developing a direct and ultra-sensitive method to provide in real time the sequence and structure of sugars using advanced fluorescent microscopy techniques. Focusing on individual molecules (3 billionth of meter) the method will allow detection of sequense and position of sugars using minute amounts of material (~10-9-10-12 grams) or a millionths of a grain of sugar. This platform could be consequently used for early detection of diseases such as cancer.