“Protein Analogous Micelles: Versatile, Modular Nanoparticles”

Peptides are functional modules of protein macromolecules that can be displayed apart from the whole protein to create biofunctional surfaces and interfaces, or can be reassembled in new ways to create synthetic mimics of protein structures. Each of these routes are being employed to gain new insight into protein folding and to develop new, functional, biomolecular materials. Examples of work from our laboratory in this area using peptide-lipid conjugate molecules (peptide amphiphiles) will be discussed relating to multi-functional surfaces, DNA-binding peptide assemblies, and protein analogous micelles for cancer and cardiovascular therapeutics.