Mimicking biopolymers on a molecular scale: nano(bio)technology based on engineered proteins

Proteins are ubiquitous biopolymers that adopt distinct three-dimensional structures and fulfil a multitude of elementary functions in organisms. Recent systematic studies in molecular biology and biotechnology have improved the understanding of basic functional and architectural principles of proteins, making them attractive candidates as concept generators for technological development in material science, particularly in biomedicine and nano(bio)technology. This paper highlights the potential of molecular biomimetics in mimicking high-performance proteins and provides concepts for applications in four case studies, i.e. spider silk, antifreeze proteins, blue mussel adhesive proteins and viral ion channels.