Totally in vitro protein selection using mRNA-protein fusions and ribosome display.

Both chemists and biochemists have great interest in creating peptides and proteins with desired structure, recognition and catalytic properties. Recently, two techniques have been developed that afford functional selection of proteins entirely in vitro: mRNA-protein fusions, and ribosome display. Improvements in both methods have allowed peptide and protein libraries of unprecedented size (10(11)-10(13) different members) to be generated and screened for function.