Temperature Dependence of Protein Folding Deduced from Quantum Transition

[Autumnlicious]

Damn cool shit!

A quantum theory on conformation-electron system is presented. Protein folding is regarded as the quantum transition between torsion states on polypeptide chain, and the folding rate is calculated by nonadiabatic operator method. The theory is used to study the temperature dependences of folding rate of 15 proteins and their non-Arrhenius behavior can all be deduced in a natural way. A general formula on the rate-temperature dependence has been deduced which is in good accordance with experimental data. These temperature dependences are further analyzed in terms of torsion potential parameters. Our results show it is necessary to move outside the realm of classical physics when the temperature dependence of protein folding is studied quantitatively.

REF: http://arxiv.org/abs/1102.3748

[Welsh cake]

A good read.

Now if this theory were to bring about the discovery of more quantum phases then I couldn't even begin to imagine the potential technological benefits that would be realised.

[theVOID]

Amazing, I love seeing breakthroughs in the effects of quantum strangeness on biology, this was even cooler than single celled organisms behaving like waves in double-slit experiments...

[Autechre]

Amazing, I love seeing breakthroughs in the effects of quantum strangeness on biology, this was even cooler than single celled organisms behaving like waves in double-slit experiments...

Sorry if I'm mistaken, but don't they fire single photons (single units of EMR) when doing the double slit experiment ?

[theVOID]

They can do it with anything just over the size of a Bucky ball and have had 'suspected' it's effects on tiny biological organisms which was the experiment I was referencing.