These are the world’s first scaled and foldable scientific models for analysis of protein folding. They are scaled and dynamic, for exploring how protein molecules fold and unfold at nano-scale. This model was born out of my vision to build a dynamic spatial tool to study these enigmatic set of macromolecules, called proteins, within the cells in our body, and how they behave at the atomic scale.
As you know, proteins are chains of amino acids. At atomic-scale, proteins look like this:
Peppytides (www.peppytides.org), the first mechanically flexible, scaled, physical model of the polypeptide chain, accurately demonstrates the molecular dynamics behind protein folding such as degrees of freedom of rotatable bonds, barriers to bond rotation, bond lengths and angles, and short- and long-range (nonbonding) interactions between amino acids.
In the following video, I am showing how to fold the model into two types of secondary structures found in proteins: the alpha-helix and the beta-sheet.
This model is fun and informative. For more info see my homepage. The STEM startup company QuezyLab (founded by me) will be marketing and distributing Peppytides.
The blue shirt above is just a coincidence 🙂 I was demonstrating Peppytides at National Maker Faire in 2015 in Washington DC; received the Maker of Merit Blue Ribbon!!