Proteins form an essential part of all living creatures. Our muscles, our organs, our enzymes, and our antibodies are all composed structurally of these large molecules. TThese foundational units of life consist of a complex biological polymer, or more correctly co-polymer (composed of more than one monomer) - a macromolecule generated from long chains of at least 22 different amino acids. The different options available from 22 different monomers at each position in a protein chain allows the generation of astronomical numbers of different proteins and it is within this, so-called, protein hyperspace, that evolution works. In this Very Short Introduction Brian Henderson introduces the chemistry at work behind our biology. Considering the 4 billion year evolutionary history of proteins, he discusses their structure, and the carefully balanced interplay between protein synthesis (the process where new proteins are generated by biological cells) and degradation (the death of protein molecules). Henderson also considers what can happen when proteins go wrong, exploring the wide variety of human pathological states which can result from protein unfolding or misfolding, including a range of genetic diseases. Looking forward, he shows how proteins have recently been found to have therapeutic potential, and touches on the fast growing use of therapeutic antibodies to treat human disease.

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