VaporLIFT: On-Chip Chemical Synthesis of Glycan Microarrays

Abstract

Laser-induced forward transfer (LIFT) of polymers is a versatile printing method for parallel in situ synthesis of peptides on microarrays. Chemical building blocks embedded in a polymer matrix are transferred and coupled in a desired pattern to a surface, generating peptides on microarrays by repetitive in situ solid-phase synthesis steps. To date, the approach is limited to simple, heat induced chemical reactions. The VaporLIFT method, disclosed here, combines LIFT with chemical vapor glycosylation to rapidly generate glycans on microarray surfaces while maintaining inert, low temperature conditions required for glycosylations. Process design and parameter optimization enables the synthesis of a collection of glycans at defined positions on a glass surface. The synthetic structures are detected by mass spectrometry, fluorescently labeled glycan-binding proteins, and covalent staining with fluorescent dyes. VaporLIFT is ideal for parallel screening of other chemical reactions, that require inert and well-defined reaction conditions.