Peptide chemistry revolution

Peptides represent a very attractive and interesting class of molecules, which stand out for adaptability to a large number of scientific applications. The field of application of peptides is so wide that is generally indicated with “peptide science”, a privilege that peptides can share with few other molecules. Peptide science is more and more emerging as a complex and interdisciplinary field, which is not only restricted to basic researches but is finally finding its place also in the development of therapeutics, diagnostics, and nanotechnologies. In fact nowadays, peptides are not exclusively used to mimic and study the activity of proteins but they are exploited in many different fields of application because of their modular structure and of their amino acid composition (1). Amino acids can be used to design complex peptide scaffolds and to influence physico-chemical properties of peptides, which can show extremely different behaviour according to their amino acid composition. Peptide science is in a never-ending evolution that is also promoting a fast revolution of the technologies necessary for peptide production. Moreover, the solid-phase revolution, a key point in peptide chemistry evolution, has been profoundly influencing and updating the way to perform organic syntheses.