Natural and Un-Natural Peptides

Dear Colleagues,

Peptides are biomolecules that are widespread in Nature, in all kingdoms of life, performing a myriad of functions— for example, acting as hormones or presenting antimicrobial activity as part of the organism’s defense system. Peptides are advantageous as they perform their activity with high selectivity and potency. Inspired by the features of natural peptides, researchers started to use un-natural peptides to modulate biological functions, and to develop novel drugs, materials or technological tools. To obtain these molecules or to understand their properties, peptides can be modified by introducing unnatural amino acids or modifications in the backbone/side chains. Linear and cyclic peptides can be obtained, and there is a growing interest in macrocyclic peptides for their pharmacological properties.

This Special Issue aims to collect contributions reporting exciting results on the synthesis, structural and functional characterization of natural peptides/peptidomimetics and their analogues, as well as un-natural peptides. Examples of fields of application include, but are not limited to, life and health sciences, chemical biology, biotechnological and material sciences. We are also interested in the discussion of innovative chemical strategies for peptide synthesis and modifications. We welcome all types of contribution covering the topic area, such as original research or review articles.

Dr. Luca D. D'Andrea
Guest Editor

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