Nor does it contain a universal constructor. Viruses manage to reproduce only by commandeering these systems from the cells they attack. By the information-theory definition, an isolated virus is not alive. This additional information makes viral RNA molecules about 4,500 subunits long. A large number of hormones and neurotransmitters are peptides.
Chemical synthesis adds amino acids one at a time to a growing chains using a cycle of reactions.
By altering their reaction conditions they can be made to work in reverse and synthesize peptide bonds. To prevent the protease joining together a whole string of amino acids, but rather add them one at a time, the amino acids are 'protected' by adding groups to them which prevent uncontrolled polymerization. A cycle of reactions adds an amino acid, then removes its protecting group, then adds another and so on. The bottom-up strategy, however, seems more promising. It's almost as if nanotechnology has been handed to us on a silver platter.