Microbiome

Microbial colonization control

Tailor-made synthetic glycans can selectively interact with microbial adhesins, lectins, or receptors, enabling targeted modulation of pathogens or enrichment of probiotic strains.

Metabolic Labeling of Bacteria

Azide-containing monosaccharide analogues can be incorporated into bacterial glycans via the native biosynthetic machinery, enabling metabolic labeling of cell-surface carbohydrates. This strategy facilitates profiling of glycan structures, dynamics, and turnover in live bacteria and allows selective detection or enrichment of labeled glycans using bioorthogonal chemistry (e.g., click reactions). Such approaches provide insights into bacterial glycosylation pathways and  host–microbe interactions

Glycan Analytical standards design and synthesis for new biomarker identification

Our patented CarboQuant ^13C-labeled glycan standards facilitate the construction of calibration curves and allow reproducible quantitation in clinical samples. Beyond general biomarker profiling, these standards can be applied to quantify microbiota-derived glycans, supporting studies of gut microbiota composition and intestinal health.

Glycan-drug conjugate design for improved  drug delivery pharmacodynamic profile

Glycan–drug conjugates have been designed to exploit the distinct metabolic pathways of the gut microbiota for site-specific drug delivery. Exploiting bacterial glycosidase activity, these conjugates enable controlled release of anti-inflammatory therapeutics in the gut after oral administration, enhancing local bioavailability while minimizing systemic exposure and off-target toxicity.

Glycan profiling

Asparia offers a broad glycan profiling service portfolio to reveal glycan-related mechanisms that shape the microbiome. Some of these changes include:

• Characterization of microbial glycans to study the interaction with host receptors, immune proteins, or antibodies which is crucial for understanding colonization, immune evasion, or signaling.
• Characterization bacterial glycoproteins and capsular glycans focuses on uncovering the structures of surface-associated glycans, such as glycoproteins, lipopolysaccharide (LPS) O-antigens,  providing critical insights for bacterial vaccine development and therapeutic targeting. The structural characterization of Neisseria meningitidis and Streptococcus pneumoniae allowed the design of conjugate vaccines against these pathogens.
• Study of mucin glycosylation alterations explores how changes in O-glycan structures, such as sialylation or sulfation, shape interactions between the host and microbiota. In inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) glycosylation patterns of mucins are altered, presenting reduced sialylation, reduced sulfation and truncated O-glycans.
• Bacterial glycolipid profiling elucidates how membrane glycolipids, like lipid A, drive pathogenesis, immune evasion, and host interactions, while enabling discovery of actionable biomarkers for infection. It enables identification of disease biomarkers, informs targeted antimicrobial and vaccine development, and aids understanding of resistance mechanisms.

General Structural Analysis

General Structural Assignment Analysis, provides precise identification of glycans and polysaccharides key to microbiome regulation. By profiling polysaccharide structures and their microbial degradation pathways, we identify functional signatures linked to health, dysbiosis, and metabolic conditions.

• Monitoring specific sugar by Monosaccharide Composition Analysis, such as fucose, galactose, or N-acetylglucosamine, is central to understanding microbial metabolism, since they act as preferred carbon sources or host–microbe signaling mediators.

Glycoproteomics

• N-glycosylation Site Occupation Analysis & Glycosylation Site-specific Glycan Profile:  Protein glycosylation on mucins, secreted enzymes, and host receptors critically regulates microbiome composition. By mapping glycosylation sites and their occupancy, changes that directly alter microbial adhesion, colonization niches, or microbiome dysregulation can be detected. This provides valuable insight into barriers, microbial adaptation, and disease relevance.

Microarray Technology

• Lectin Arrays identify specific binding preferences of commensal and pathogenic microbes for host glycans, bacterial glycan composition, enabling the study of adhesion, strain identification, probiotic selection, and colonization dynamics.

• Glycan Arrays identify specific glycan binding proteins crucial for host–microbe recognition mechanisms, analysis of glycosidase substrate specificity and carbohydrate-binding protein repertoires, identification of ligands involved in bacterial aggregation and biofilm development, and guide the development of glycan-targeted prebiotic or therapeutic strategies.