D-Amino Acid Peptides: Challenges in Solid-Phase Synthesis

Let’s face it – working with D-amino acids in peptide synthesis feels like trying to write with your non-dominant hand. While nature overwhelmingly uses L-forms, about 20% of antimicrobial peptides discovered since 2024 contain at least one D-configuration residue. The mirror-image molecules resist enzymatic degradation, making them pharmaceutical gold…if we can produce them reliably.