Synthetic proteins: Mimicking the molecular machinery of life - Science Nation

Imagine synthetic antibiotics that could fight infections like MRSA, custom pharmaceuticals to treat advanced prostate cancer, and new enzymes that will turn cellulose into fuel. With support from the National Science Foundation (NSF), chemist Kent Kirshenbaum and his team at New York University are engineering molecules to mimic the shape, structure and function of natural proteins. The ultimate goal of this biomimetic chemistry research is to develop a reliable way to build synthetic proteins that can be put to work at the industrial scale. The research in this episode was supported by NSF award #1507946, Functional Biomimetic Architectures. Miles O'Brien, Science Nation Correspondent Kate Tobin, Science Nation Producer