Proteins are key biological components in nature, made up of long amino acid sequences joined together through peptide bonds. But due to their complexity, especially their complex folding, they are challenging to replicate in a laboratory. However scientists are able to create small proteins, also described as protein scaffolds, that can be used to mimic certain secondary protein structures (e.g. coiled coils).

Naturally proteins are created through the transcription and translation process, utilising m-RNA and t-RNA to ensure the correct order of amino acids are used to create a polypetide. The polypeptide gradually folds to form the complex three dimensional structure that is a protein. To learn more about protein structures, see the chemBAM page.

In a laboratory SPPS (solid phase peptide synthesis) is used to create small polypeptides which can then fold into a protein scaffold. Watch the cartoon below to learn more about how SPPS works;

Cartoon … coming soon.

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