NANOPARTICLES COMPRISING A METALLIC OR SEMICONDUCTOR CORE WHICH IS COVALENTLY BOUND TO A PLURALITY OF CARBOHYDRATE LIGANDS

摘要

Materials and methods for studying and modulating the interaction ofcarbohydrate-containing moieties with other species are described, inparticular, small particles, e.g. clusters of metal or semiconductor atoms,which can be employed as a substrate for immobilising a plurality of ligandscomprising carbohydrate groups. These "nanoparticles" can then be used tostudy carbohydrate mediated interactions, e.g. with other carbohydrates orproteins, and as therapeutics and diagnostic reagents.