Artificial protein synthesis applications.

Protein structure is almost unlimited, according to our needs to design and manufacture protein, it is possible to achieve a variety of magical functions.
proteins are the "labour force" of all living organisms, executing commands from DNA.
it also has a variety of complex structures that enable all important functions in humans and all living things, including digestion of food, tissue growth, transmission of oxygen in the blood, cell division, neuron activation, muscle energy supply, and so on.
, the protein's so diverse function comes only from the combination sequence of 20 amino acid molecules in the region.
until now, researchers have only just begun to understand how these line sequences fold into complex structures.
even more surprising is that nature seems to utilize only a small fraction of all possible protein structures, even though the latter is huge in number.
therefore, the use of existing amino acids designed with special structure of unconventional proteins, that is, the nature of the non-existing synthetic proteins, has a very attractive application prospects.
the protein is to genetically regenerate the bacteria so that their DNA controls the production of specific amino acid sequences, which in turn synthesize proteins.
the production and study of synthetic proteins with atomic-level accuracy is of great significance for opening up new areas of basic research and realizing practical applications in many more areas.
the design process, assume a new protein structure that solves a specific problem or achieves a function, and then in turn determines a sequence of candidate amino acids that can be folded into that structure.
Roseetta protein model design software can identify the most promising candidates: amino acid sequences that fold out the minimum energy state of the target structure.
, these sequences are transferred from the computer to the lab, where they are manufactured and tested for synthetic proteins.
, there is no technology comparable to the wonderful functions performed by proteins.
possibilities of protein synthesis, allowing protein design to greatly expand the capabilities of protein technology.
to illustrate this point, I'll list some of the proteins that are synthesized using this design approach, as well as the fundamental challenges in the research process and their practical applications.
this image shows a synthetic protein called the TIM-barrel protein family.
most enzymes contain this naturally occurring TIM-barrel protein, which is the catalyst for bio-chemical reactions that occur in our bodies.
this is partly because the round cup or barrel structure at the center of the protein provides a suitable place for bio-chemical reactions.
protein in the map is the ideal template for TIM-barrel proteins, and for specific reactions, you can personalize it with bagged structures, binding site points, and catalytic media.
this method can be used to design new proteases that have never been seen before in nature.
photo source: Possu Huang, David Baker Laboratory, University of Washington Clean Energy and Pharmaceutical Catalyst Protease is the most efficient substance known as a catalyst, far more inororable catalyst than chemists synthesize.
part of the reason is that proteases accurately associate key sites with reactive molecules, providing a place to accelerate or reduce the active energy of the reaction.
the exact path of occurrence remains an unexplained key issue, dealing more with synthetic proteins may help solve the problem.
The synthetic proteins we make have been able to catalyse some potential metabolic reactions, such as in the reaction to convert carbon dioxide from the atmosphere into fuel organic molecules, and are more catalytically efficient than any kind of inorganic catalyst, so it is expected that Such reactions make carbon-neutral fuels; they also include reactions that can be used to treat diseases, which are expected to provide patients with intestinal diseases with an oral drug that breaks down gluten in the stomach; and synthetic proteins that neutralize toxic amyloid proteins in the body of people with Alzheimer's disease.
new super-strong material containing organic and inorganic materials is a new type of material with great market potential.
abalone shell is a natural example of an unusually hard substance made up of calcium carbonate and protein.
, it is clear that during the abalone shell forming process, some proteins alter the way inororable substances are deposited on the binding proteins and participate in the formation of the overall structure of the shell.
proteins are expected to replicate this process and expand the variety of these proteins.
is another silk-like material that has a high hardness as an organic substance and is biodegradable, and synthetic proteins seem to be well suited for making this material, but the formation mechanism needs to be clarified.
addition, the synthetic proteins we obtain can form interlocking structures that are only a molecular thick layer and are expected to be used to make new anti-scratch films or organic solar cells.
drug-specific, self-assembled proteins form a multi-purpose container or external barrier in the organism, from the protein shell of the virus to the outer walls of almost all living cells.
we have developed a way to design and build similar protein containers: very small caged structures, protein nanoparticles, assembled from one or two peptide chains.
we can be very precise and achieve atomic-level control.
current job is to build this protein nanoparticle, using it to carry targeted "goods", i.e. drugs or other therapeutic substances, while deploying the protein on the surface.
surface proteins are used to bind specifically to similar proteins on the surface of targeted cells.
these self-assembled protein particles increase the targeting level of drugs transported to cells and avoid harmful effects on other parts of the body.
can also design other nanoprotein particles to penetrate the blood-brain barrier and deliver drugs or therapeutic substances for brain diseases.
we have also designed blocking proteins that interrupt protein-protein communication, as well as functional proteins that bind to small molecules for biological sensing, such as identifying pathogens.
most important, synthetic proteins, as new tools, improve the targeting of drugs or other therapeutic techniques, while improving the ability of drug vectors to bind closely to the outer walls of targeted cells.
20-sided protein nanoparticles can accurately deliver drugs or other therapeutic substances to target cells inside the body, with few side effects.
it is self-assembled from two synthetic proteins.
illustrations and protein designers: Jacob Bale, David Baker Laboratory, University of Washington, New vaccine not only can be used for drug transportation, self-assembled protein nanoparticles also have prospects in vaccine development.
a stable viral protein embedded in the surface of the synthetic protein nanoparticles, we hope to induce a strong and single-specific immune response in the cells to normalize HIV and influenza viruses.
we are currently working on how these protein nanoparticles can be used as a vaccine against some viruses.
these thermally stable designed vaccines will no longer rely on complex cold-chain storage systems, making these life-saving vaccines more accessible globally and helping to achieve the goal of eliminating viral diseases.
, molecular-level accuracy in vaccine design allows us to systematically study how the immune system recognizes and defends against pathogens.
, the findings of such studies could also promote the development of toy vaccines that help train the immune systems of patients with autoimmune diseases and asthma to stop attacking host tissue.
new peptide drugs, most approved drugs are either protein molecules or small molecules.
peptides (amino acid compounds) present in nature, medium in size, can be precisely combined with biologically targeted targets after modification or stabilization, and are considered to be the most effective drug molecules known.
, peptides have the dual advantages of protein and small molecule drugs.
cyclosporine is a familiar example.
unfortunately, these peptide species are rare.
a new design approach we have recently implemented that produces two types of peptides with unusual thermal and chemical stability.
these peptides include peptides derived from genetic coding (and then synthesized in bacteria) as well as peptides made up of amino acids not found in nature.
can be said that these peptides form the basis and design model of new peptide drugs.
, we have developed a common method for designing stable small proteins that bind specifically to pathogen proteins.
one of these design proteins binds specifically to the virus's glycoprotein hemoglobin, which helps the flu virus invade cells.
these design proteins can be used as very effective anti-flu drugs for infected mice, both as a disease prevention and therapeutic effect.
similar approach is also used to design therapeutic proteins for the Ebola virus, as well as targets associated with tumors and autoimmune diseases.
, synthetic proteins can be used as very useful test probes to explore the molecular chemistry of the immune system.
protein logic system The human brain is a fully protein-based, energy-efficient logic system.
can you build a similar logic system (like a computer) with self-assembled synthetic proteins that are cheaper and more efficient than silicon logic systems? Protein switches in nature have been well studied, but making synthetic protein switches is still a challenge.
addition to its use in biotechnology, understanding protein logic systems may have a more profound impact on exploring how the human brain makes decisions or early information processing.
potential for the design of synthetic proteins, new research frontiers and a wide range of practical applications await exploration.
, people are beginning to master the ability to design new molecules to solve specific problems.
is ushering in an exciting time for protein design.
predict protein structure If we can't predict a given amino acid sequence, protein synthesis will be impossible.
there are 20 natural amino acids in the world that can be connected in any order and folded to form a near-astronomical structure of possibility.
, the protein structure prediction challenge will be overcome by a protein model software called Rosetta.
Rosetta evaluates possible protein structures based on energy status and determines the structure with the lowest energy, which typically occurs in biological tissue.
Rosetta's prediction is already fairly accurate, compared with smaller proteins.
network of hundreds of protein scientists around the world has been continuously improving Rosetta's algorithms to make Rosetta more powerful and accurate.
team has eloboded the structure of more than 1,000 proteins and is expected to be able to predict the structure of any protein in the coming years.
this will be a significant advance in basic biology and biomedical science, as understanding the structure of proteins will allow people to understand the function of countless proteins in the human body and in all living organisms.
, the ability to predict protein structures will be a powerful tool for designing new synthetic proteins.
.