Authored by key players in the field, this volume offers a relevant presentation of peptide and protein chemistry. It provides key insight into the fast-developing field of proteomics, including structural and functional aspects, biochip development, and clinical potential. It includes chapters on bioinformatics and proteomics and presents the latest information on concerns over protein degradation and the post-translational modifications of proteins and peptides. The book also includes a section on protein-coupled diseases that presents increasing evidence of the pathological impact of protein misfolding in relation to various neurodegenerative diseases, as well as a section on the role of proteins in cancer.

Introduction. Amino Acids. Noncovalent Interactions. Structural Organization of Proteins. The Biosynthesis of Proteins. Posttranslational Modifications. Protein Folding. Intracellular Sorting of Proteins. Protein Turnover. Purification and Characterization of Proteins. Crystallography and X-Ray Diffraction. Optical Spectroscopy. Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR). Methods to Follow Protein Folding. Mass Spectrometry. Chemical Synthesis of Peptides and Proteins. Protein Engineering and Gene Silencing. Protein-Ligand Interactions. Sequence Analysis and Function Prediction. Protein Structure Prediction. Proteomics. Enzymes. Nucleic Acid-Binding Proteins. Cell Surface Receptors and Signaling. Membrane Proteins. Antibodies. Fibrous Proteins. Selected Classes of Bioactive Peptides. Misfolding-Based Diseases. Miscleavage-Based Diseases. Missequence-Based Diseases. Peptides and Proteins as Drugs.