Opening a new chapter in antibody mimetics
(PHYSorg.com Nanotechnology)

Antibodies are proteins that act as recognition molecules for pathogens, like viruses and bacteria, and are the workhorses of the body`s immune system. They recognize specific molecules and bind to them very strongly, which makes them ideal for biomedical applications like diagnostics or therapeutic treatments. Unfortunately, production of antibodies is expensive, and they aren`t very stable. This has motivated a growing number of chemists to explore new synthetic materials that can mimic key aspects of antibody structure and function. Nonetheless, it remains a fundamental challenge to create chemically diverse populations of protein-like, folded synthetic nanostructures that can be tailored to specifically bind pathogens and other molecules.