Biomimetic synthesis articles from across Nature Portfolio

Nature-inspired catalysts strive to emulate the efficiency and selectivity of enzymes while maintaining the robustness of synthetic catalysts. Here, the authors use bioinformatics to design an eight-amino-acid peptide that self-assembles with copper ions, forming a complex that mimics the laccase enzyme’s active site, highlighting the potential of short peptides in biomimetic catalysis.

Physical sources of randomness are indispensable for information technology and modern cryptography. In this Perspective, the authors explore entropy as a key concept and the interdisciplinary work that utilizes randomness.

Chemical synthesis of chiral β-hydroxy-α-amino acids usually requires multiple steps. Now a biomimetic enantioselective aldol reaction of glycinate and aldehydes catalysed by a chiral pyridoxal has been achieved, providing efficient access to a large number of chiral β-hydroxy-α-amino esters.

Protocell mimetics capable of orchestrated and adaptive functions are of interest. Here, the authors report on cytomimetic models of bone tissue calcification and decalcification, integrating enzyme-containing inorganic protocells into alginate hydrogels to produce a range of matrix-integrated prototissues.

Flavin-dependent halogenases (FDHs) in nature produce organic halides under benign conditions, yet their practical application remains elusive and difficult to scale up. Inspired by FDHs, here the authors develop a biomimetic aerobic oxidative halogenation strategy that uses oxygen from the air to oxidize non-toxic halide salts.

Bio-inspired path integration and neural mapping enable robots to navigate autonomously in global positioning system (GPS)-denied environments such as disaster zones, space and deep oceans.

Redesigning biomaterials to proactively modulate the complement system can reduce unintended immune responses and enhance their therapeutic efficacy.

By drawing inspiration from ion transport in biology, researchers have developed highly selective channels for the separation and enrichment of Li⁺ ions from complex aqueous solutions.

There are many unanswered questions regarding how the biomolecules and biomechanical processes that define life came to be. A collection of Articles in this issue show how intermediates in RNA synthesis might have formed and how the initiation and evolution of RNA replication might have occurred.

Nature oxidizes biosynthetic intermediates into structurally and functionally diverse peptides. An iron-catalysed C–H oxidation mimics this approach in the lab, enabling chemists to synthesize structural analogues with ease.