Figure 1.

Overview of the methods available for the synthesis of polysaccharides. For each method, advantages (green) and disadvantages (red) are highlighted. Polymerization techniques (A and B) generate mixtures of compounds with non-uniform distribution of molecular weight (MW). In contrast, chemical synthesis (C) produces well-defined polysaccharides, but it is time-consuming. Automated Glycan Assembly (AGA) increases the efficiency of chemical synthesis by automating cycles of coupling and deprotection on a solid support (D).