All natural protein molecules are made up of L-amino acids and the achiral amino acid glycine.1 The homochirality of natural proteins molecules is one of the most fundamental aspects of the biosphere. I will present case studies to illustrate the preparation by total chemical synthesis of unnatural ‘mirror image’ D-protein molecules made up of D-amino acids.2 Novel features of these examples include facilitated determination of protein X-ray structures by racemic crystallography,3 and the systematic development of a D-protein antagonist for VEGF-A.4