Peptide synthesis refers to the technique of chemically linking amino acids in a specific sequence to form a polypeptide chain. The predominant method employed is solid-phase synthesis, a technique pioneered by Bruce Merrifield in 1963, for which he was awarded the 1984 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. The underlying principle involves anchoring the carboxyl terminus of the first amino acid to an insoluble resin; subsequent amino acids are then sequentially added from the C-terminus toward the N-terminus through a repetitive cycle of deprotection, activation, and coupling steps, culminating in the cleavage of the target peptide from the resin.
This method simplifies the purification process and is readily amenable to automation, thereby establishing itself as a standard technique for the synthesis of short-to-medium-length peptides. Peptide synthesis holds significant practical value across various fields, including pharmaceutical research and development, the investigation of biological activity, and vaccine design.