Artificial Proteins

Recombinant DNA methods provide a powerful, general route to macromolecular systems of controlled chain length, sequence, and stereochemistry. This chapter summarizes recent advances in the synthesis of artificial proteins, including analogs of elastin, silk, and collagen, as well as de novo-designed proteins with no natural counterparts. The principles of protein synthesis are presented briefly, as are the most important methods of genetic engineering and methods for the incorporation of noncanonical amino acids into proteins expressed in microbial cells.