Glycans are among the building blocks of the four major biomolecules of life—
carbohydrates, nucleic acids, lipids, and proteins. Intriguingly, the other three major
biomolecules of life either contain (ribo-or deoxyribonucleic acids) or can be modified with
(glycolipids and glycoproteins) carbohydrates. To quote one of the leaders in the field of
glycobiology, Ajit Varki of the University of California at San Diego,“Despite more than 3
billion years since the origin of life on earth, the powerful forces of biological evolution seem …