Antibodies are proteins that act as recognition
molecules for pathogens, like viruses and bacteria, and are the
workhorses of the body’s immune system. They recognize specific
molecules and bind to them very strongly, which makes them ideal
for biomedical applications like diagnostics or therapeutic
treatments. Unfortunately, production of antibodies is expensive,
and they aren’t very stable. This has motivated a growing number of
chemists to explore new synthetic materials that can mimic key
aspects of antibody structure and function. Nonetheless, it remains
a fundamental challenge to create chemically diverse populations of
protein-like, folded synthetic nanostructures that can be tailored
to specifically bind pathogens and other molecules.
