Polysaccharides are ubiquitous in biology; motivating their integration into numerous applications. Synthetic polysaccharides are designed to optimize chemical processes for which natural polysaccharides do not exist. However, their unique properties are still poorly understood, limiting their synthesis and functionalization.

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The Welborn group investigates the influence of polarizability on polysaccharide chemistry, including conformational flexibility, interaction with solvent and other macromolecules (i.e., proteins). We use the AMOEBA polarizable force field within classical molecular dynamics to provide a functional picture of solvated polysaccharides at the molecular scale.