We study theoretically the thermodynamics, over a broad temperature range (5–125°C), related to hydrated water upon protein unfolding. The hydration effect is modeled as interacting dipoles in an external field, mimicking the influence from the unfolded surfaces on the surrounding water...

We study the non-directed polymer model (NDP model) in the framework of a non-linear growth equation of Burgers type [Kardar–Parisi–Zhang equation with quenched noise (KPZQN equation)] by means of path integrals. The scaling exponents for the KPZQN equation are expressed in terms of the NDP...

We review a statistical mechanics treatment of the stability of globular proteins based on a simple model Hamiltonian taking into account protein self-interactions and protein–water interactions. The model contains both hot and cold folding transitions. In addition it predicts a critical point...

Biopolymers have many fascinating properties coming from a competition between universal features, well known in the physics of synthetic polymers, and specific elements which are crucial for the biological function of these molecules. Proteins are an example of this richness: proteins are...

We propose a protein model based on a hierarchy of constraints that force the protein to follow certain pathways when changing conformation. The model exhibits a first-order phase transition, cooperativity and is exactly solvable. It also shows an unexpected symmetry between folding and...

We propose a simple market model where agents trade different types of products with each other by using money, relying only on local information. Value fluctuations of single products, combined with the condition of maximum profit in transactions, readily lead to persistent fluctuations in the...

We show that experimentally measured heat capacities of six different proteins (lysozyme, myoglobin, chymotrypsinogen, lactoglobulin, ovalbumine, and ribonuclease A) in the solid state, in the temperature range from 260 to 420K, can be well characterized as a sum of one Einstein mode,...

The contribution of the hydration heat capacity upon solvation of apolar molecules is derived by applying equilibrium statistical mechanics on a simple model, which we compare to experimental data on the linear alkanes: methane, ethane, and propane, and to the aromatic compounds: benzene and...

We study protein folding by introducing a simplified one-dimensional analogy of a protein consisting of N contacts. Closed contacts are assigned a binding energy while open contacts represent several configurations of equal (zero) energy. Furthermore, two neighboring contacts in different states...

We propose a geometrical interpretation of the chaotic state of inhomogeneous cellular automata. From the rules of the cellular automaton we construct a network. The percolating phase of this network coincides with the chaotic phase of the cellular automaton. We also report numerical tests of...