Structure prediction and engineering of de novo proteins

De novo proteins represent a challenging frontier at the intersection of evolutionary biology and synthetic biology. Broadly, the term encompasses two distinct categories: naturally evolved de novo proteins, which arise from previously non-coding DNA, and synthetically designed de novo proteins, which are created from scratch through computational and experimental methods. This review provides an overview of the definitions, history, functional significance, and investigation methods for both categories. By examining potential challenges in current de novo protein research, this review highlights the growing convergence between natural evolutionary processes and rational protein engineering, reflecting their importance in biological discovery and human innovations.