@article{19de13521a124d208811da1c2a0abca5,
title = "Building blocks of protein structures: Physics meets biology",
abstract = "The native state structures of globular proteins are stable and well packed indicating that self-interactions are favored over protein-solvent interactions under folding conditions. We use this as a guiding principle to derive the geometry of the building blocks of protein structures - α helices and strands assembled into β sheets - with no adjustable parameters, no amino acid sequence information, and no chemistry. There is an almost perfect fit between the dictates of mathematics and physics and the rules of quantum chemistry. Protein evolution is facilitated by sequence-independent platforms, which can elaborate sequence-dependent functional diversity. Our work highlights the vital role of discreteness in life and may have implications for the creation of artificial life and on the nature of life elsewhere in the cosmos.",
author = "Tatjana {\v S}krbi{\'c} and Amos Maritan and Achille Giacometti and Rose, {George D.} and Banavar, {Jayanth R.}",
note = "Funding Information: We are indebted to Pete von Hippel for his warm hospitality and to him, Jeremy Berg, and Brian Matthews for stimulating comments. This project received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under Marie Sk{\l}odowska-Curie Grant Agreement No. 894784. The contents reflect only the authors' view and not the views of the European Commission. Support from the University of Oregon (through a Knight Chair to J.R.B.), NSF (G.D.R.), University of Padova through “Excellence Project 2018” of the Cariparo foundation (A.M.), MIUR PRIN-COFIN2017 Soft Adaptive Networks Grant No. 2017Z55KCW, and COST action Grant No. CA17139 (A.G.) is gratefully acknowledged. The computer calculations were performed on the Talapas cluster at the University of Oregon. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2021 American Physical Society.",
year = "2021",
month = jul,
doi = "10.1103/PhysRevE.104.014402",
language = "English (US)",
volume = "104",
journal = "Physical Review E",
issn = "2470-0045",
publisher = "American Physical Society",
number = "1",
}