Plant polysaccharides constitute the main renewable resource in the biosphere and the cornerstone of future carbon neutral biorefineries for the production of energy, chemicals, food, and structural materials. From a molecular standpoint, polysaccharides can be arguably considered as the most complex biomacromolecules in terms of the stereochemistry of the constituent monomers (monosaccharides), the anomericity and connectivity of the glycosidic linkages. This stereochemistry creates virtually infinite possibilities for substitution and branching patterns in the macromolecular architecture, which in the end influence their multiscale assembly, properties and function in both biological and engineered biomaterials.<br/>In the presentation we will discuss the integration of advanced mass spectrometric, enzymatic and solid-state biophysical approaches to reveal the molecular structure and the multiscale assembly of plant polysaccharides. The integration of enzymatic deconstruction by selective carbohydrate-active enzymes and mass spectrometry has revealed the occurrence of an unexpected level of control and regularity in the molecular structure of plant polysaccharides. The presence of regular motifs in plant xylans and mannans modulates the interactions in plant cell walls and cellulosic networks, which in the end determine their functionality and biomechanical properties. Finally, advanced solid-state biophysical methods (e.g. NMR spectroscopy, X-ray and neutron scattering) provide the nanoscale resolution about the multiphase assembly between plant polysaccharides.

Revealing the molecular structure and multiscale assembly of plant polysaccharides through advanced glycoanalytics

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