Chemical and biological researchers are making rapid progress in the design
and synthesis of non-natural oligomers and polymers that emulate the prope
rties of natural proteins. Whereas molecular biologists are exploring biosy
nthetic routes to non-natural proteins with controlled material properties,
synthetic polymer chemists are developing bioinspired materials with well-
defined chemical and physical properties that function or self-organize acc
ording to defined molecular architectures. Bioorganic chemists, on the othe
r hand, are developing several new classes of non-natural oligomers that ar
e bridging the gap between molecular biology and polymer chemistry. These s
ynthetic oligomers have both sidechain and length specificity, and, in some
cases, demonstrate capability for folding, self-assembly, and specific bio
recognition. Continued active exploration of diverse backbone and sidechain
chemistries and connectivities in bioinspired oligomers will offer the pot
ential for self-organized materials with greater chemical diversity and bio
stability than natural peptides. Taken together, advances in molecular bioe
ngineering, polymer chemistry, and bioorganic chemistry are converging towa
rds the creation of useful bioinspired materials with defined molecular pro
perties.