Chain Length Scaling of Protein Folding Time

Folding of protein-like heteropolymers into unique 3D structures is investigated using Monte Carlo simulations on a cubic lattice. We found that the folding time of chains of length N scales as N^ at the temperature of fastest folding. For chains with random sequences of monomers 6, and for chains with sequences designed to provide a pronounced minimum of energy to their ground state conformation 4. Folding at low temperatures exhibits a simple Arrhenius-like behavior.