proteiners

Proteiner is a term used in speculative biology and science fiction to describe a class of protein-like macromolecules that resemble natural proteins in function but differ in chemical backbone or monomer composition. In these contexts proteiners are envisioned as versatile biopolymers capable of folding into defined structures and performing catalytic or binding roles within cells, protocells, or synthetic life forms.

Structure and chemistry: Proteiners are imagined as polymers built from amino-acid-like monomers, which may include non-biological units or alternative linkages. They can adopt secondary and tertiary structures stabilized by hydrogen bonding, hydrophobic interactions, and electrostatics. Some designs permit non-peptidic backbones such as beta-peptides, peptoids, or other backbone chemistries, leading to properties distinct from natural proteins, such as increased stability or altered specificity.

Origins and contexts: The proteiner concept is used to examine how life could utilize protein-like catalysts beyond the constraints of ribosomal translation or to explore non-standard biochemistries in theoretical or fictional ecosystems. In origin-of-life studies, proteiners provide an alternative framework to explain the emergence of enzymatic activity.

Functions and applications: In theory, proteiners could act as enzymes, structural scaffolds, transport binders, or regulatory elements. Their tunable chemistry makes them attractive for hypothetical materials and synthetic biology applications, including resilient biocatalysts, programmable materials, or redesigned metabolic networks in non-terrestrial or resource-limited environments.

See also: Protein, Enzyme, Peptide, Peptoid, Beta-peptide, Artificial life.