title: De novo protein design: how do we expand into the universe of possible protein structures?
abstract: Protein scientists are paving the way to a new phase in protein design and engineering. Approaches and methods are being developed that could allow the design of proteins beyond the confines of natural protein structures. This possibility of designing entirely new proteins opens new questions: What do we build? How do we build into protein-structure space where there are few, if any, natural structures to guide us? To what uses can the resulting proteins be put? And, what, if anything, does this pursuit tell us about how natural proteins fold, function and evolve? We describe the origins of this emerging area of fully de novo protein design, how it could be developed, where it might lead, and what challenges lie ahead.
authors.affiliation: School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, Cantock's Close, Bristol BS8 1TS, UK; School of Biochemistry, University of Bristol, Medical Sciences Building, University Walk, Bristol BS8 1TD, UK; BrisSynBio, Life Sciences Building, Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK. Electronic address: d.n.woolfson@bristol.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Derek N
authors.initials: DN
authors.lastname: Woolfson
authors.affiliation: School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, Cantock's Close, Bristol BS8 1TS, UK.
authors.forename: Gail J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Bartlett
authors.affiliation: School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, Cantock's Close, Bristol BS8 1TS, UK.
authors.forename: Antony J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Burton
authors.affiliation: School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, Cantock's Close, Bristol BS8 1TS, UK.
authors.forename: Jack W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Heal
authors.affiliation: School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, Cantock's Close, Bristol BS8 1TS, UK.
authors.forename: Ai
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Niitsu
authors.affiliation: School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, Cantock's Close, Bristol BS8 1TS, UK.
authors.forename: Andrew R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Thomson
authors.affiliation: School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, Cantock's Close, Bristol BS8 1TS, UK; School of Biochemistry, University of Bristol, Medical Sciences Building, University Walk, Bristol BS8 1TD, UK.
authors.forename: Christopher W
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Wood
mesh_terms: D008958:Models, Molecular; D011487:Protein Conformation; D015202:Protein Engineering / Q000379:methods*; D011506:Proteins / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D011506:Proteins