Within the past decade, several research groups have synthesized and s
tudied compounds that mimic the structures and hydrogen-bonding patter
ns of beta-sheets. In these compounds, rigid molecular templates stabi
lize beta-sheet structure in attached peptides. Through these studies,
these researchers hope to gain an enhanced understanding of protein s
tructure and develop useful peptidomimetic building blocks. This revie
w seeks to summarize these studies and explain the growing interest in
artificial beta-sheets.