Biomolecules, Spin Glasses, Glasses, and Solids (R. H. Austin¹)

Abstract

Before discussing the building blocks of life in more detail, we compare a few many-body systems [1, 2]. Figure 2.2 shows that biomolecules are linear systems that fold into their three-dimensional structure. The folding is so compact that the density of a protein, for instance, is nearly the same as the density of a crystal made out of one amino acid. Schrödinger [3] actually called proteins “aperiodic crystals.” Indeed, proteins and solids have a number of similar properties. However, proteins have features that distinguish them from solids. In a sense, they can be considered a separate state of matter.

¹ Department of Physics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA.