Chapter 9: Synthetic Receptors for Protein Surfaces

This chapter describes the rational design of synthetic receptors for recognition of protein surfaces. Protein–protein interactions are the basis of numerous biological processes such as signal transduction, cell proliferation, and viral assembly. Each protein involved in these interactions has characteristic surface features that are recognized by the interacting biological partner. Synthetic receptors can be designed to selectively target the external surface of a protein. These molecular and nanoparticle systems provide fundamental insight into protein–protein interactions, as well as serving to modulate the structure and biomedical function of protein assemblies.