How fast does a protein fold? Real-time technique captures the moment
Proteins assume complex 3D shapes even faster than does DNA , which is a simpler molecule. Originally wri tten By Katherine Bourzac and published in Nature on 9 March 2026 It can take less than a microsecond for proteins (artist’s impression) to fold into their 3D shapes. Credit: Christoph Burgstedt/Science Photo Library Scientists say they have made some of the first direct measurements of how long it takes an individual, ordinary protein to fold . The results were surprising: they found no relationship between a protein’s sequence or size and how long it takes to fold into its 3D shape . And proteins seem to fold more efficiently than do other biomolecules, such as DNA — despite proteins having a more complex set of ingredients. The work was published today in Physical Review Letters 1 . Read more