Crystalline structure interface description

Polyamino acids can be considered as models for conformational studies, providing an atomistic description of the secondary structural motifs typically found in proteins [30-39]. Two-dimensional hydrogen-bonded layers and columns in the structures of crystalline amino acids can mimic S-sheets and helices in proteins and amyloids [40 5], and can be compared with two-dimensional crystalline layers at interfaces [46-58]. Nano-porous structures of small peptides can mimic cavities in proteins [24, 59-63]. One can also prepare crystals in which selected functional groups and side chains are located with respect to each other in the same way, as at recognition sites of substrate-receptor complexes, and use the systems to simulate the mutual adaptation of components of the complex responsible for recognition. 

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