Rational design of self-assembled proteins and peptides for nano- and micro-sized architectures

Abstract

Many types of nano- and micro-structures are formed spontaneously through the self-assembly of biomolecules in nature, but devising chemical strategies to create biomolecular assemblies is still in the early stages. This review article describes recent progress in chemical strategies to rationally design artificial protein and peptide assemblies. Nano- and micro-structures such as fibers, tubes, rings, cages, polyhedrons, and more complex structures consisting of peptides and proteins, are constructed through self-assembly based on the formation of secondary structures and specific interactions.