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Updated: May 2, 2026

Formation of Ordered Biomolecular Structures by the Self-assembly of Short Peptides
Published on: November 21, 2013
Self-assembled structures from amphiphilic peptides
Severin J Sigg, Thomas B Schuster, Wolfgang P Meier1
1Department of Chemistry, University of Basel, Klingelbergstrasse 80, CH-4056 Basel, Switzerland.
Abstract:
Nanotechnology and its applications are strongly influenced by structures self-assembled from a variety of different materials. This review covers nanostructures, including micelles, rod-like micelles, fibers and peptide beads, self-assembled from de novo designed amphiphilic peptides. The latter are promising candidates for the development of nanoscale carrier systems because they are completely composed of amino acids. In addition to designing primary sequences, secondary structure and external parameters are also discussed with respect to their impact on self-assembly. Moreover, the assembly process itself is examined. Potential applications range from gene and drug delivery devices to diagnostics, thereby highlighting the versatility of the system.
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