Macromolecular approaches for the preparation of artificial proteins

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Harm-Anton Klok
• Subject Area: Preparatory and Physical Chemistry of Polymers
• Term: from 1999 to 2005
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 5209184

Three different macromolecular approaches for the development of protein mimics are proposed. The first, non-covalent approach explores the self-assembly of peptide-based diblock copolymers. The self-assembly is driven by a combination of hydrophobic forces and specific interactions between the peptide blocks. The diblock copolymer molecules are designed to self-assemble into aggregates of well-defined size and in aqueous solution, and allow a covalent post-modification in order to fix the structure of the protein-mimics. The second approach involves the design and synthesis of non-linear polypeptide architectures. Specific examples that will be investigated include star-shaped and dendritic graft polypeptides. Such molecules already inherently possess a dense, globular shape, and do not require folding or other self-organization processes to adopt protein-like structures. The third approach focuses on the preparation and characterization of multidomain peptide copolymers that contain well-defined secondary structural elements. It is anticipated that the intramolecular association of these secondary structural elements will induce of the polypeptide into protein-like architectures.

• DFG Programme: Independent Junior Research Groups