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The organization of supramolecular peptide polymers determines their properties; however, controlling their dimensions still remains a problem. Here, Gazitet al. show the spontaneous elongation and shortening of these polymers at an individual nano-assembly level by using a microfluidic platform.

Subtle changes in solvent composition control peptide crystal polymorphism, enabling the formation of distinct structures and offering new insights for designing advanced bio-inspired materials.

A tyrosine tripeptide was discovered to unexpectedly form a supramolecular amorphous glassy material by constructing a non-specific hydrogen bonding network with structural water molecules.

Short peptides are among the most intriguing building blocks in nanotechnology, but it would be very challenging to experimentally study the properties of large numbers of different sequences. Now, a computational analysis of all 8,000 possible tripeptides has been used to identify those with interesting self-assembly behaviour.

Self-assembly typically occurs through reversible interactions that slowly arrange building blocks into the most thermodynamically favoured structure. The involvement of enzymatic catalysis in the process has now enabled the rapid construction of a variety of low-defect architectures.

Metal coordination and π–π stacking interactions drive the assembly of dipeptides into nanostructures with superior optical properties.

Small molecule metabolites like phenylalanine can form amyloid-like structures but so far this has only been demonstrated in vitro. Here the authors generate a yeast in vivo model of adenine self-assembly and characterize the adenine assemblies in cells by indicative amyloid dye and anti-adenine assemblies antibodies.

Suparmolecular polymers are built by monomers via non-covalent bonds, whilst the pathway of their nucleation processes is not yet clear. Here, Levin et al.show that the self-assembly of monomers proceeds through a series of metastable states, which are energetically governed by Ostwald’s rule of stages.

Peptide nucleic acids can self-assemble into ordered architectures that are coordinated by both stacking interactions and Watson–Crick base pairing, and exhibit a variety of optical properties.

Advances in bionanotechnology demand an increased portfolio of assemblies beyond those currently available. Here, the authors design a crystallographically characterized super-helical sequence composed of single heptad repeats which, through derivatisation, offers vast potential applications.

A cell-targeting peptide can be assembled into well-defined nanoparticles with different shapes and sizes depending on the number of branches present in the hydrocarbon chain it is attached to.

Large arrays of aligned aromatic peptide nanotubes can be fabricated using vapour deposition methods, and used for energy storage and microfluidic devices.

The elastic energy built up during peptide self-assembly is exploited in the realization of a microactuator. The energy stored is released on millisecond timescales via a buckling instability controlled with droplet microfluidics.

In the context of enviromental applications, refining enzymes into more minimalist structures could ease production costs, improve stability, and improve reusability. Here, the authors report a single amino acid bionanozyme that can catalyze the rapid oxidation of environmentally toxic phenolic contaminates and serves as a tool to detect biologically important neurotransmitters similar to the laccase enzyme.

In this work, Kamal, Knox et al develop a high-throughput system to identify small molecules that disrupt amyloid formation by pre-selecting compounds that suppress molecular interactions within the cuticle of the C. elegans pharynx.

Emulsifiers are used in the pharmaceutical, food, cosmetic, and biomedical industry. Here the authors fabricate rigid helical peptides that can perform as emulsifiers and thickeners, which typically requires synergistic effects of surfactants and polysaccharides.

Phenylketonuria (PKU) is characterized by increased levels of phenylalanine in the blood and progressive mental retardation. Now, phenylalanine is shown to form toxic amyloid fibrils at high concentrations, which accumulate in the brains of PKU patients and mouse models.

The application of nanofibres formed from monomers of bacterial type IV pili in vitrohas proven to be complex. Here, the authors have overcome this limitation by using a reductionist approach to design a self-assembling pilin-based 20-mer peptide capable of forming a supramolecular beta sheet.

Peptide-based supramolecular assemblies are a promising class of nanomaterials with important biomedical applications, but their antibacterial properties can be overlooked. Here the authors show the antibacterial activity of self-assembled diphenylalanine, which emerges as the minimal model for antibacterial supramolecular polymers.

Quantum confined (QC) materials have favorable photoluminescent properties, yet are less bioavailable. Here, the authors developed aromatic cyclo-dipeptides that assemble into quantum dots and organize into biocompatible QC supramolecular structures suitable for in vivo imaging and optoelectronics.

Simple enzyme mimetics are highly desired for industrial settings providing high catalyst stability and low production costs. This work reports that phenylalanine and zinc ions can self-assemble into a supramolecular structure showing catalytic properties similar to those of the natural enzyme carbonic anhydrase.

The structural foundation of self-assembled peptide materials is typically the β-sheet. Here the authors describe peptides made of three natural amino acids that self-assemble into helical-like superstructures with enhanced mechanical rigidity.

Piezoelectric materials which are non-toxic and eco-friendly are of interest. Here, the authors report on the creation of collagen-mimetic peptides which can be self-assembled into piezoelectric materials and study the design characteristics required for optimized power generation.

At the nanoscale, elastic strain and crystal defects largely influence the properties and functionalities of materials. Here, the authors report an unusual twin boundary migration process in a single platinum nanoparticle during carbon monoxide oxidation using Bragg coherent diffraction imaging.

DNA is an attractive nanomaterial, yet limited compared to polyamides due to low stability and mechanical issues. Here, the authors combine polyamide and DNA characteristics to form mechanically rigid self-assembled peptide nucleic acid based materials with high stiffness and Young’s modulus.

The self-assembly of biomimetic peptides can mimic complex natural systems involving whole proteins. This Review describes how synthetic peptides afford tunable scaffolds for biomineralization, drug delivery and tissue growth.

Bipyridine derivatives have been shown to control the self-assembly of amyloid-derived dipeptides. Here the authors show that 4,4'-bipyridine inhibits the formation of amyloid-like beta-sheet assembly by Fmoc-protected diphenylalanine, prompting a reorganisation to helical structure, and characterise the transition pathway.

Small-molecule metabolites can form amyloid fibrils associated with human disease, similar to those formed by proteins. Here the authors show that generic polyphenol inhibitors of protein amyloid formation also inhibit the aggregation of metabolite fibrils and reduce their cytotoxicity.

Hierarchical self-assembly and crystallization is ubiquitous in nature and is of key importance for creation of complex superstructures. Herein, Yuan and co-workers propose that hierarchically oriented organization guides the formation of such complex systems, especially in supramolecular peptide crystals.

Paul et al. provide a rational design strategy to develop dual inhibitors, in the form of tryptophan-galactosylamine conjugates, against amyloid formation and aggregation of Aβ42 and hIAPP peptides. These conjugates are not toxic to mammalian cells and reduce cytotoxicity of Aβ42 and hIAPP aggregates, hence potentially could serve as scaffolds for development of Alzheimer’s disease therapeutics.

Primary hyperoxaluria is a rare genetic condition which involves elevated levels of oxalate in the body, but its role in causing symptoms is not well understood. Here self-assembled oxalate fibrils are implicated in the mechanism of retinopathy in primary hyperoxaluria in humans.

Aimed to decipher the levels of metabolites, metabolomics can now advance to unraveling their functionalities in various contexts. Here, the authors present the metabolite medicine concept, integrating classical metabolomics methods with advanced computational and structural tools to facilitate functional studies.