Detection of bacteria using glyco-dendronized polylysine prepared by continuous flow photofunctionalization.

Biocompatible glyco-dendronized poly-l-lysine (PLL) polymers carry either three or nine mannose- or galactose-bearing dendrons that selectively bind, and thus can be used to detect, bacteria. Central to the synthesis of glyco-dendronized polymers was the development of a continuous flow [2 + 2] photocycloaddition reaction to connect the dendrons and PLL. Glycodendronized polymers cluster bacteria by binding to cell-surface carbohydrate receptors and thereby result in an easy read-out using microscopic analyses.