The native chemical ligation reaction (NCL) involves reacting a C-terminal peptide thioester
with an N-terminal cysteinyl peptide to produce a native peptide bond between the two …

The fundamental roles that peptides and proteins play in today's biology makes it almost
indisputable that peptides were key players in the origin of life. Insofar as it is appropriate to …

This review discusses one-dimensional supramolecular polymers that form in aqueous
media. First, naturally occurring supramolecular polymers are described, in particular …

The design of artificial catalysts able to compete with the catalytic proficiency of enzymes is
an intense subject of research. Non-covalent interactions are thought to be involved in …

The origin of life is a fascinating, unresolved problem whose deciphering would have
important scientific, epistemological and social implications. Over time, philosophers and …

The process by which chemistry can give rise to biology remains one of the biggest
mysteries in contemporary science. The de novo synthesis and origin of life both require the …

Self-assembly of molecules often results in new emerging properties. Even very short
peptides can self-assemble into structures with a variety of physical and structural …

Self‐replication is a fundamental concept. The idea of an entity that can repeatedly create
more of itself has captured the imagination of many thinkers from von Neumann to …

Conspectus As the remit of chemistry expands beyond molecules to systems, new synthetic
targets appear on the horizon. Among these, life represents perhaps the ultimate synthetic …

Living and proliferating cells undergo repeated cycles of growth, replication and division, all
orchestrated by complex molecular networks. How a minimal cell cycle emerged and helped …