Self-assembly of bioinspired peptides for biomimetic synthesis of advanced peptide-based nanomaterials: a mini-review

Abstract

The design and motif-tailoring of peptide sequences are crucial for mediating the self-assembly of peptide molecules and the biomimetic synthesis of functional peptide-based nanomaterials. It is well known that nature provides guidance and inspiration for the design and molecular tailoring of functional peptide sequences, which can further self-assemble into complex peptide nanomaterials with adjustable dimensions. In this mini-review, we summarize recent advances in the bioinspired design and regulation of functional peptide sequences by natural things, such as mussels, milk protein, silkworm silk, frogs and Alzheimer’s disease. The self-assembly of bioinspired peptides in vitro and in vivo for controlled synthesis of various peptide-based nanomaterials is introduced and analyzed. In addition, various applications of biomimetic peptide nanomaterials for biosensors, bioimaging, cancer therapy, antibacterial materials, tissue engineering, as well as energy storage and environmental science are demonstrated in detail. Finally, we give perspectives on the future development of this promising research topic. With these efforts, we hope to promote the understanding of the optimization of bioinspired peptides and the design of novel peptide nanomaterials for advanced applications.