Creating synthetic proteins is a promising avenue of study, but could we take shortcuts on nature's blueprint and make more efficient versions? Scientists at UC Berkeley have found that simpler combos of synthetic building blocks can make for protein alternatives that work just as well as, and in some cases better than, the real thing. Although hundreds of types of amino acids exist, natural selection has picked 20 that can be found in every living organism on Earth. This core set combines together into hundreds of thousands of different variations to create every protein in your body.