Short peptides assemble into honeycomb fibers that hold water in tiny parallel channels
Phys.org ·
Honeycomb-shaped structures are familiar from beehives. Researchers have now designed molecules that self-assemble into a similar pattern on a scale far too small to see with the naked eye. These molecules are peptides: short chains of amino acids, the building blocks of proteins. Each peptide consists of only nine amino acids. Many identical copies assemble into tiny fibers with a honeycomb-like interior filled with water.
Honeycomb-shaped structures are familiar from beehives. Researchers have now designed molecules that self-assemble into a similar pattern on a scale far too small to see with the naked eye. These molecules are peptides: short chains of amino acids, the building blocks of proteins. Each peptide consists of only nine amino acids. Many identical copies assemble into tiny fibers with a honeycomb-like interior filled with water.