# Complete biosynthesis of the potent vaccine adjuvant QS-21

*PRI Rank #3 · Topics and Trends in Most Cited Glycosylation and Glycoproteins Research Papers, Class of 2026*

*Canonical URL: https://pri.pepkio.com/top-papers/glycosylation-and-glycoproteins-research/2026/rank-3*

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Rank | #3 |
| 18m citations | 64 |
| Journal | Nature Chemical Biology |
| Year | 2024 |
| DOI | 10.1038/s41589-023-01538-5 |
| Corresponding authors | Anne Osbourn |
| Institution | John Innes Centre, United Kingdom |

**Ranking page:** [Topics and Trends in Most Cited Glycosylation and Glycoproteins Research Papers, Class of 2026](https://pri.pepkio.com/top-papers/glycosylation-and-glycoproteins-research/2026)

**Paper link:** [10.1038/s41589-023-01538-5](https://doi.org/10.1038/s41589-023-01538-5)

## Topics

QS-21 · vaccine adjuvant · Chilean soapbark tree · glycosylated triterpene scaffold · 18-carbon acyl chain · T cell proliferation · acyl chain biosynthesis · heterologous expression in tobacco · 20-step biosynthetic pathway · triterpene glycoside · immunostimulation · pathway reconstitution · bioengineering of adjuvants · Structure-activity relationship

## Cite this ranking

```
Pepkio Research Index (PRI). Topics and Trends in Most Cited Glycosylation and Glycoproteins Research Papers, Class of 2026. https://pri.pepkio.com/top-papers/glycosylation-and-glycoproteins-research/2026. Accessed 2026-07-21.

Zheng Su, Tinsley Li, Thematic Shifts in Early-High-Impact Cancer Genomics and Diagnostics Research: A Bibliometric and Semantic Analysis. bioRxiv 2026.07.04.736459; doi: https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.07.04.736459
```