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Updated: Jun 28, 2026

Protein WISDOM: A Workbench for In silico De novo Design of BioMolecules
Published on: July 25, 2013
Controllable protein assembly: from design strategies to functional applications
Xiaoxuan Yu1, Hui Li1, Xiaohua Du1
1Key Laboratory of Organosilicon Chemistry and Material Technology Ministry of Education, College of Material Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou 311121, China. wangtt@hznu.edu.cn.
Abstract:
Proteins, as the primary executors of life activities, achieve essential biological functions through self-assembly into higher-order oligomers. Inspired by the sophisticated protein assembly systems in nature, the field of artificial protein assembly has developed diverse construction strategies, realizing a leapfrog progression from simple structural imitation to customized functional design. This review systematically summarizes recent advances in this field, focusing on three major construction strategies: supramolecular assembly, covalent assembly, and computational design. It explores how these strategies enable multiscale regulation of protein nanostructures from one to three dimensions, and further highlights their expanding applications in areas such as biocatalysis and drug delivery. Notably, the field is undergoing a profound shift from static structures toward dynamic functions. Finally, we discuss current challenges (predictability, multifunctional integration, and in vivo stability) and offer perspectives on future directions, aiming to provide a roadmap for the development of intelligent protein assembly materials.
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