[7] The primary emphasis of his work at this point was the synthesis of chiral natural products using carbohydrates as the starting materials.
[4][8] At Duke University, his research shifted to exploring the role of oligosaccharides in immune responses, and particularly on the effect of molecules on human diseases like malaria and AIDS.
[6] Fraser-Reid and his team achieved a milestone in oligosaccharide synthesis by assembling a molecule consisting of 28 monosaccharide units.
[10] Several sources have reported that Fraser-Reid was nominated in 1998 for a Nobel Prize in chemistry for his work on oligosaccharides and immune responses.
The Institute of Jamaica awarded Fraser-Reid the 2007 Musgrave Medal (Gold) for his work in chemistry, noting that during his career he co-authored over 330 peer-reviewed publications and supervised 85 post-doctoral fellows and 55 PhD students.