Protein design is the design of new protein molecules, either from scratch or by making calculated variations on a known structure. The use of rational design techniques for proteins is a major aspect of protein engineering.
The design of minimalist computer models of proteins (lattice proteins), and the secondary structural modification of real proteins, began in the mid-1990s. The de novo design of real proteins became possible shortly afterwards, and in the 21st century it has become a productive field of research. There is great hope that the design of new proteins, small and large, will have applications in medicine and bioengineering (see examples below).
Read more about Protein Design: Overview, Examples of Designed Proteins, Models of Protein Structure and Function Used in Protein Design, Ancestral Sequence Reconstruction, Software
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—Alfred Gingold, U.S. humorist. Items From Our Catalogue, “Tofu Innersoles,” Avon Books (1982)
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