De Novo Design and Structural Characterization of Proteins and Metalloproteins

This work has shown that de novo protein design critically tests the understanding of the principles of protein folding and shows that as this understanding evolves and is further refined, it should be possible to design proteins and biomimetic polymers with properties unprecedented in nature.

Abstract

De novo protein design has recently emerged as an attractive approach for studying the structure and function of proteins. This approach critically tests our understanding of the principles of protein folding; only in de novo design must one truly confront the issue of how to specify a protein's fold and function. If we truly understand proteins, it should be possible to design receptors, enzymes, and ion channels from scratch. Further, as this understanding evolves and is further refined, it should be possible to design proteins and biomimetic polymers with properties unprecedented in nature.