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Biomimetic systems

Function without form in synthetic polymers mimicking protein hydration

Nature Chemistry volume 17, pages 979–981 (2025)Cite this article

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Hydration frustration — such as burying polar residues or exposing hydrophobic ones — is a hallmark of protein chemistry and critical for biological functions. Now, such frustration can be designed using synthetic copolymers, without the need for defined sequence or structure.

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Fig. 1: Emergence of hydration frustration in proteins and synthetic single-chain polymer nanoparticles.

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  1. X: @xmwebb

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  1. Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA

    Michael A. Webb

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  1. Michael A. Webb
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Correspondence to Michael A. Webb.

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Webb, M.A. Function without form in synthetic polymers mimicking protein hydration. Nat. Chem. 17, 979–981 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41557-025-01858-0

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