Knowledge-based Design of Inorganic-binding Peptides

How proteins/peptides bind to and recognize the inorganic materials with different affinities and specificities has primary importance in biomineralization, hard tissue regeneration (e.g., bone and dental tissues) and making practical materials using synthetic peptides as nucleators, growth modifiers or as control agents [1-4]. The understanding of the possible mechanism(s) of inorganic formation eventually has to be addressed for rational design and tailoring of these peptides towards specific materials systems for medical and/or practical engineering applications. Here we introduce a method that combines experimental knowledge with computational biology tools and enables design of new peptides efficiently with superior binding affinities and multiple material specificities as a potential tool for molecular engineering in materials and medicine.