Peptide History intermediate
Merrifield and Solid-Phase Synthesis
Bruce Merrifield's revolutionary invention of solid-phase peptide synthesis in 1963.
By Encyclopeptide Editorial | 1 min read
merrifield spps synthesis nobel
Overview
Bruce Merrifield’s 1963 invention of solid-phase peptide synthesis (SPPS) transformed peptide chemistry and earned him the 1984 Nobel Prize.
Key Innovation
By anchoring the growing peptide chain to an insoluble resin support, Merrifield eliminated the need to purify intermediates at each step.
Impact
- Reduced synthesis time from months to days
- Enabled automation of peptide synthesis
- Made complex peptides accessible
- Spawned combinatorial chemistry
Legacy
SPPS remains the standard method for peptide synthesis, with modern automated synthesizers capable of producing peptides up to 100 residues.
References
- Source: ENCP Peptide Database
- Category: Peptide History
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