This feature article describes chemoselective techniques for the assembly of neoglycopeptides and oligosaccharide mimics. Chemoselective ligation, allowing the use of aqueous environments and non-protected substrates, provides rapid access to complex glycoconjugates. The role of these molecules in recognition, signal transduction pathways and other events of fundamental biomedical significance is an object of study in the emerging field of chemical glycomics.