Peptidomimetics

Our challenge is to create simple mimetic versions of complex biomolecules, as proteins, while maintaining their function – for example the ability to recognize and bind to a target.

Schematic representation of a protein A-mimetic targeting the same surface region of the Fc fragment of antibodies as protein A from Staphylococcus aureus. Here, the mimetic version is 20x smaller than the native protein A domain while maintaining function!

We have been actively enrolled in the rational design, preparation and screening of chemical combinatorial libraries of affinity ligands against targets with varied complexities – from peptides, to proteins or even viral-like particles!


The peptidomimetics find applications in several areas. To know how they can be applied on the purification of biological molecules and particles, please check some of our latest publications:

Dias, AMGC, Roque ACA.  2017. The future of protein scaffolds as affinity reagents for purification. Biotechnology and Bioengineering. 114:481–491

Batalha, IL, Zhou H, Lilley K, Lowe CR, Roque ACA.  2016. Mimicking nature: Phosphopeptide enrichment using combinatorial libraries of affinity ligands. Journal of Chromatography A. 1457:76–87

Batalha, ÍL, Roque ACA.  2016.  Petasis-Ugi ligands: New affinity tools for the enrichment of phosphorylated peptides. Journal of Chromatography B: Analytical Technologies in the Biomedical and Life Sciences. 1031:86–93

Fernandes, CSM, Barbosa I, Castro R, Pina AS, Coroadinha AS, Barbas A, Roque ACA.  2016.  Retroviral particles are effectively purified on an affinity matrix containing peptides selected by phage-display. Biotechnology Journal. 11:1513–1524

Fernandes, CSM, Castro R, Coroadinha AS, Roque ACA.  2016.  Small synthetic ligands for the enrichment of viral particles pseudotyped with amphotropic murine leukemia virus envelope. Journal of Chromatography A. 1438:160–170

Pina, AS, Carvalho S, Dias AMGC, Guilherme M, Pereira AS, Caraça LT, Coroadinha AS, Lowe CR, Roque ACA.  2016.  Tryptophan tags and de novo designed complementary affinity ligands for the expression and purification of recombinant proteins. Journal of Chromatography A. 1472:55–65

Pina, AS, Dias AMGC, Ustok FI, Khoury GE, Fernandes CSM, Branco RJF, Lowe CR, Roque ACA.  2015.  Mild and cost-effective green fluorescent protein purification employing small synthetic ligands. Journal of Chromatography A. 1418:83-93