Related Experiment Video
Updated: Nov 5, 2025

Rapid, Enzymatic Methods for Amplification of Minimal, Linear Templates for Protein Prototyping using Cell-Free Systems
Published on: June 14, 2021
Looking back: Developments in chemical protein synthesis in 2020
1Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Heidelberg Pharma Research GmbH, Ladenburg, Germany.
Abstract:
The world as we know it changed dramatically in the spring 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. It was (and still is) a hard time for most of us. Luckily, the power of science enabled a good solution in form of a vaccine in less than 1 year. Of course, not only vaccine development boosted in 2020, but there were also several milestones in peptide chemistry. In this commentary, I would like to draw you away for a moment from the whole pandemic situation to discuss two exciting advances in chemical protein synthesis highlighted in 2020.
Related Concept Videos
Ribosomes
Ribosome Structure and Assembly
Ribosomes are composed of ribosomal RNA (rRNA) and proteins. In eukaryotes, rRNA is transcribed from genes in the nucleolus—a part of the nucleus that specializes in ribosome...
Ribosomes
Ribosome Structure and Assembly
Ribosomes are composed of ribosomal RNA (rRNA) and proteins. In eukaryotes, rRNA is transcribed from genes in the nucleolus—a part of the nucleus that specializes in ribosome...
Synthetic Biology
Golden rice
Golden rice is a genetically modified...
The Central Dogma
RNA is the Missing Link Between DNA and Proteins
In the early 1900s, scientists discovered that DNA stores all the information needed for cellular functions and that proteins perform most of these functions. However, the mechanisms of converting genetic information into functional proteins remained unknown for many years. Initially, it was believed that a single gene is...
From DNA to Protein
Translation
Translation is the process of synthesizing proteins from the genetic information carried by messenger RNA (mRNA). Following transcription, it constitutes the final step in the expression of genes. This process is carried out by ribosomes, complexes of protein and specialized RNA molecules. Ribosomes, transfer RNA (tRNA), and other proteins produce a chain of amino acids—the polypeptide—as the end product of translation.
Translation Produces the Building Blocks of...

