Molecular Recognition in Biomimetic Receptors

Molecular recognition lies at the heart of biology, from the highly specific binding of an enzyme with its substrate to the vast surfaces involved in protein-protein interactions. In this chapter we outline the development of synthetic molecular receptors relevant to biology within our laboratory. Over the course of thirty years there is a substantial increase in the complexity of both the targets and receptors themselves. Early work focussed on the binding of small molecules and single functional groups, advancing to the development of peptidomimetics and a series of generalized scaffolds capable of mimicking and binding key secondary structural elements including the α-helix, β-sheet and β-strand. More recently these concepts have been applied to the mimicry of super-secondary structure, and self-assembly has been exploited to form these vast supramolecular structures in situ. This chapter explains the fundamental design features, chemical synthesis and clinical relevance of the receptors and mimics produced in our laboratory.