Peptides are bioactive substances intrinsically linked to various cellular functions within living organisms. Their molecular structure falls between that of amino acids and proteins; they are compounds formed by the linkage of multiple amino acids-arranged in a specific sequence-via peptide bonds. As a collective term for bioactive substances involved in diverse cellular processes, peptides are frequently utilized in fields such as functional analysis, antibody research, and-most notably-pharmaceutical R&D.
In 1963, Merrifield first introduced the method of solid-phase peptide synthesis (SPPS). Due to its convenience and speed, this technique rapidly became the preferred method for peptide synthesis. Moreover, it revolutionized the field of organic peptide synthesis and gave rise to an independent discipline: solid-phase organic synthesis. The invention of solid-phase synthesis also catalyzed the automation of peptide synthesis; the world's first true peptide synthesizer emerged in the early 1980s.