Rohmer, M. et al., Macromolecular Biosciences, 2023, 2200344,
https://doi.org/10.1002/mabi.202200344
The secondary structure of poly(amino acids) is an excellent tool for controlling and understanding the functionality and properties of proteins. In this perspective article the secondary structures of the homopolymers of oligo- and poly-glutamic acid (Glu), aspartic acid (Asp), and α-aminoisobutyric acid (Aib) are discussed. Information on external and internal factors, such as the nature of side groups, interactions with solvents and interactions between chains is reviewed. As polymer- and amino acid folding is an important step for the utilization and design of future biomaterials useful for cell-adhesion and embedding, such hybrid materials open a future perspective for biomedicines. © 2023 The Authors. Macromolecular Bioscience published by Wiley‐VCH GmbH.