Global societal challenges emphasize the importance of collaboration between scientists and policy‐makers, while the participation of a diverse group of professionals, including early‐career scientists, is critical towards a sustainable future. The European Young Chemists’ Network (EYCN) has been actively working with the European Chemical Society (EuChemS) to create a platform for early‐career chemists in policy advice. This article comments on the possible roles of scientists in policy‐making and provides an overview of relevant initiatives and platforms at the European level that could facilitate involvement. Opportunities for participation in policy advice from the perspective of early‐career chemists are discussed and examples of impact are provided, hoping to stimulate further discussions and engagement in policy‐making.

(1) Background: Natural peptides supporting the innate immune system studied at the functional and mechanistic level are a rich source of innovative compounds for application in human therapy. Increasing evidence indicates that apart from antimicrobial activity, some of them exhibit selective cytotoxicity towards tumor cells. Their cationic, amphipathic structure enables interactions with the negatively-charged membranes of microbial or malignant cells. It can be modeled in 3D by application of dendrimer chemistry. (2) Methods: Here we presented design principles, synthesis and bioactivity of branched peptides constructed from ornithine (Orn) assembled as proline (Pro)- or histidine (His)-rich dendrons and dendrimers of the bola structure. The impact of the structure and amphipathic properties of dendrons/dendrimers on two glioblastoma cell lines U87 and T98G was studied with the application of proliferation, apoptosis and cell migration assays. Cell morphology/cytoskeleton architecture was visualized by immunofluorescence microscopy. (3) Results: Dimerization of dendrons into bola dendrimers enhanced their bioactivity. Pro- and His-functionalized bola dendrimers displayed cytostatic activity, even though differences in the responsiveness of U87 and T98G cells to these compounds indicate that their bioactivity depends not only on multiple positive charge and amphipathic structure but also on cellular phenotype. (4) Conclusion: Ornithine dendrons/dendrimers represent a group of promising anti-tumor agents and the potential tools to study interrelations between drug bioactivity, its chemical properties and tumor cells’ phenotype.

Uncontrolled protein oligomerization leading to deposition of fibrils is related to several diseases including neurodegeneration and diabetes. Involvement of natural compounds in regulation of this process has been documented. Therefore, the design and detailed study of bioinspired new molecular entities is one of the possible avenues to achieve better therapeutics. Here, we provide experimental data derived from the application of chiraloptic methods that rationally designed, bioinspired small branched peptides influenced the primary conformation of both poly-L-lysine (PLL) and poly-L-glutamic acid (PLGA) polypeptides in a structure-and concentrationdependent manner. In several cases, the circular dichroism (CD) spectra of polypeptide/dendron mixtures were considerably different from those corresponding to the individual polypeptides, in terms of significant reduction of intensity, discrete structure, and dislocation of characteristic bands. Data deconvolution suggested that compared to the individual homo-polypeptides, the resulting polypeptide/dendron complexes had a relative gain of distorted α-helix, and right-and left-hand twisted β-sheet forms, which may indicate a more diffuse structure. The electrostatic attraction and multiple hydrogen bonding between oppositely charged molecules, that is, between cationic-branched peptides and the β-sheet surface formed by anionic PLGA, might be the main cause of coaggregation that increased the variety and contribution of less ordered forms, and reduced the propensity for self-aggregation. K E Y W O R D S branched peptides, circular dichroism, fibrillation, sinapic acid, supramolecular interactions, valine