Recent progress in protein imprinting technology.

Protein-imprinted materials have drawn great attention nowadays for their promising application in biotechnology and biomedical engineering. Despite the success of molecular imprinting technique of small molecules in chemical and biomedical industry, imprinting of large molecules especially biomacromolecules remains a challenge. In recent years, however, a number of significant protein imprints have been reported, some of which may have great potential in applications for chromatography and biosensors. In this article, we review current development and patents on various protein imprinting approaches and materials developed recently. The advantages and disadvantages of the methods are discussed, and the trends are also highlighted.