Collection Overview 

Scientific Reports has launched a Guest-Edited Collection on Rational peptide and protein design with wet-lab validations. 

Rational design, applying knowledge structure-function relationships into molecular design, has shown great promise in enzyme engineering, vaccine development, and inhibitor discovery. Using rational design can help to reduce resource requirement and lead to more predictable outcomes in comparison to other molecular engineering approaches. 

This will be a Collection of original research papers  and will be open for submissions from all authors – on the condition that the manuscripts fall within the scope of the Collection and of Scientific Reports more generally. We are welcoming submissions until 23rd March 2026.

Why is this Collection important?

"Protein engineering is advancing rapidly, with wide-ranging applications across the life sciences. It enables the rational design of efficient molecular machines such as enzymes, as well as the development of highly specific antibodies for cancer treatment and antiviral therapies. Recent breakthroughs in peptide binder design also present novel strategies to disrupt disease-associated molecular interactions. As a result, the ability to design and validate proteins with tailored functions is becoming increasingly critical. This collection aims to showcase some of the most cutting-edge research driving this transformative field forwards."

- Dr. Elka R. Georgieva, Guest Editor

"I am excited about this collection because the focus on wet-lab validation is fundamental to converting computational protein designs into reliable and applicable solutions, thereby improving the speed and precision of protein engineering."

- Dr. María-Isabel González-Siso, Guest Editor

"Rational protein design is a key methodology in biotechnology and therapeutic development. This Collection focuses on research that integrates computational design with empirical, lab-based validation. By curating studies that connect predictive modeling with functional outcomes, it aims to set a standard for methodological rigor in the field. Consequently, this Collection provides a specialized venue for publishing impactful research that possesses both computational novelty and definitive experimental evidence, thereby contributing to the advancement of protein engineering."

- Dr. Chang-Han Lee, Guest Editor

Why submit to a collection?  

Collections like this one help promote high-quality science. They are led by Guest Editors, who are experts in their fields, and In-House Editors and are supported by a dedicated team of Commissioning Editors and Managing Editors at Springer Nature. Collection manuscripts typically see higher citations, downloads, and Altmetric scores and provide a one-stop-shop on a cutting-edge topic of interest.  

Who is involved?

Guest Editors:

• Elka R. Georgieva, Texas Tech University, USA
• María-Isabel González-Siso, University of A Coruña, Spain
• Chang-Han Lee, Seoul National University, Republic of Korea

Internal Team:

• In-House Editor: Junxia Wang, Scientific Reports, UK
• Commissioning Editor: Charlotte Ben Romdhane, Fully OA Brands, Springer Nature, UK
• Managing Editor: Ioanna Pitsidianaki, Fully OA Brands, Springer Nature, UK

How can I submit my paper?

Visit the Collection page for more information on the Collection, and how to submit your article.