Attempts to elucidate the roles of carbohydrate-associated structures in biology have led to the distinct field of glycobiology research. The focus of this field has been in understanding the evolution, biosynthesis and interactions of glycans, both individually and as components of larger biomolecules. However, as most approaches for studying glycans (including mass spectrometry and various binding assays) use ensemble measurements, they lack the precision required to uncover the discrete roles of glycoconjugates, which are often heterogeneous, in biomolecular processes. Single-molecule techniques can examine individual events within challenging mixtures, and they are beginning to be applied to glycobiology. For example, single-molecule force spectroscopy (SMFS) by atomic force microscopy (AFM) has enabled the molecular interactions of sugars to be studied, single-molecule fluorescence microscopy and spectroscopy have led to insight into the role of sugars in biological processes and nanopores have revealed interactions between polysaccharides and their transporters. Thus, single-molecule technology is becoming a valuable tool in glycoscience.

试图阐明碳水化合物相关结构在生物学中的作用已导致糖生物学研究的独特领域。该领域的重点是了解聚糖的进化，生物合成和相互作用，无论是单独的还是作为较大生物分子的组成部分。但是，由于大多数研究聚糖的方法（包括质谱法和各种结合测定法）都使用集成测量，因此它们缺乏揭示糖缀合物在生物分子过程中通常是异质作用的离散作用所需的精度。单分子技术可以检查具有挑战性的混合物中的单个事件，并将它们开始应用于糖生物学。例如，通过原子力显微镜（AFM）进行的单分子力光谱（SMFS）使糖的分子相互作用得以研究，单分子荧光显微镜和光谱法使人们更深入地了解了糖在生物过程中的作用，并且纳米孔揭示了相互作用在多糖及其转运蛋白之间。因此，单分子技术正在成为糖科学领域的重要工具。