Identification of biologically active peptides using random libraries displayed on phage.

The construction of new and increasingly diverse libraries, as well as the implementation of more powerful selection schemes, has led to the identification of linear peptides that mimic complex epitopes. Phage display techniques are allowing the selection of disease-related peptides, which reproduce the antigenic and immunogenic properties of natural antigens, using whole sera from patients. The range of applications of phage technology has been extended to include the search for peptides binding to molecules other than antibodies, such as cell receptors and enzymes.