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Reference.org
Levinthal's paradox
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<p>Levinthal's paradox is a <a href="/facts/Thought_experiment/GXlr0lz9">thought experiment</a> in the field of <a href="/facts/Protein_structure_prediction/sj6AbLjI">computational protein structure prediction</a>; <a href="/facts/Protein_folding/rf3nR2Y1">protein folding</a> seeks a stable energy configuration. An algorithmic search through all possible conformations to identify the minimum energy configuration (the <a href="/facts/Native_state/uBHLassN">native state</a>) would take an immense duration; however in reality protein folding happens very quickly, even in the case of the most complex structures, suggesting that the transitions are somehow guided into a stable state through an uneven energy landscape. </p>