(a) Schematic for incorporating ketone groups on a cell surface using a glycan metabolic pathway for Staudinger ligation with biotinylated hydrazides for detection with FITC-avidin. (b) Flow cytometry of Jurkat cells reveal that the addition of azido sugars (ManLev-Bio+Av) increase the fluorescence 30-fold as compared to the controls [18]. Reproduced with permission from Mahal, L. K.; Yarema, K. J.; Bertozzi, C. R. Engineering Chemical Reactivity on Cell Surfaces through Oligosaccharide Biosynthesis. Science
1997, 276 (5315), 1125–1128.