[neverdem]

Why are asymmetrical shapes more difficult to isolate than the symmetrical shapes?

That's a basic question, but this stuff, carbohydrate chemistry, is not simple.

"The latest strategy 'is practical as a powerful tool in glycobiology', he says, adding that Boons and his colleagues have demonstrated 'more convincingly' a strong candidate strategy for constructing a library of complex glycans."

Glycobiology and glycoscience are relatively new terms for describing how simple and complex sugars modify proteins. Getting the exact structure of various macromolecules is no mean feat. IMHO, the biggest payoffs could be in diagnostic tests in microbiology and immunology.

[neverdem]

The Wikipedia link for glycobiology appears OK.

Glycoscience finally comes of age

These glycans can also form complexes with lipids. Lipopolysaccharide and innate immune system got 3293 citations at PubMed.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=Lipopolysaccharide+and+innate+immune+system