Capsular polysaccharides (CPSs) on the surface of bacteria play an essential role in the virulence of bacteria by protecting them from the host's immune system. Because of their important role in bacterial virulence, CPSs are often targeted by vaccines and antimicrobial therapies. Carbohydrates-based vaccines can be developed to stimulate the immune system to produce antibodies against specific CPSs, which can then prevent or reduce the severity of infections caused by the targeted bacteria. The first part of the dissertation focused on synthesizing five novel synthetic oligosaccharides resembling the capsular polysaccharides of Streptococcus suis serotype 18 using solution-phase chemistry. The second part of the dissertation focused on the fungi Candida auris and describes the synthesis of oligosaccharides resembling the key immunogenic structure of Candida auris KCTC 17810.
