Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Living polypeptides.

Thrasyvoulos Aliferis1, Hermis Iatrou, Nikos Hadjichristidis

  • 1Department of Chemistry, University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis, Zografou, 15771, Greece.

Biomacromolecules
|September 14, 2004
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Thermally Induced Macromolecular Sequence Inversion in Triblock Copolymers and Terpolymers.

Angewandte Chemie (International ed. in English)·2026
Same author

Peptide-Based Block Copolymer Electrolytes as Sustainable Material Platforms for Tunable Ion Transport and Mechanical Reinforcement.

ACS macro letters·2026
Same author

Programmable Stereoregular Fully Aromatic-Substituted Polymethylenes.

Journal of the American Chemical Society·2026
Same author

ERAP2 inhibitor -incorporated nanofibers: Characterization and biological assessment.

International journal of pharmaceutics·2026
Same author

Distinct Local and Global Dynamics of α-Helices and β-Sheets in Poly(γ-benzyl-l-glutamate) Peptides.

Biomacromolecules·2025
Same author

Isolated Ni atoms enable alkali-free photoreforming of waste polylactic acid plastic.

Nature communications·2025
Same journal

Effect of Hydrophilic Brush Length and Hydrophobic Chain on Biodistribution of Polymethacrylate-Based Statistical Copolymers.

Biomacromolecules·2026
Same journal

Multicomponent Micelles with Boosted Stability of Iminoboronates.

Biomacromolecules·2026
Same journal

Stiffening and Toughening Protein Hydrogels by Tuning Electrostatic Interactions.

Biomacromolecules·2026
Same journal

<i>In Situ</i> Bulk and Interfacial Interlocking-Induced Highly Dynamically Entangled Hydrogel of Myocardium-Matching Mechanics, Electrophysiological Functions, and Robust Tissue Adhesion for Cardiac Repair.

Biomacromolecules·2026
Same journal

Eutectogel Electrodes with Self-powered Capability for Flexible Electrophysiological Sensor.

Biomacromolecules·2026
Same journal

Self-Reporting Supramolecular Coacervates Driven by Liquid-Liquid Phase Separation Enable Systemic Translocation and Photodynamic Bioprotection.

Biomacromolecules·2026
See all related articles

Researchers developed a new method for synthesizing block copolypeptides, overcoming a 50-year challenge in polymer chemistry. This breakthrough enables the creation of well-defined polypeptides for advanced biotech applications.

Area of Science:

  • Biotechnology
  • Polymer Chemistry
  • Supramolecular Chemistry

Background:

  • Block copolypeptides combine block copolymer self-assembly with protein-like 3D structures.
  • They hold promise for biosensors, tissue engineering, and drug delivery.
  • Synthesizing model block copolypeptides via living polymerization of N-carboxyanhydrides (NCAs) has been difficult due to impurities.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To overcome the long-standing challenge of synthesizing model block copolypeptides.
  • To establish a general method for creating well-defined polypeptides with diverse architectures.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized high vacuum techniques to create and maintain conditions for living polymerization.
  • Employed primary amines in the nucleophilic/basic polymerization of alpha-amino acid N-carboxyanhydrides (NCAs).

Related Experiment Videos

Main Results:

  • Successfully achieved living polymerization of NCAs with primary amines, overcoming previous limitations.
  • Developed a general and robust method for synthesizing well-defined block copolypeptides.

Conclusions:

  • The high vacuum technique effectively addresses impurity issues in NCA polymerization.
  • This advancement opens new possibilities for designing novel polypeptides and supramolecular structures.