Protein folding is a complex computational problem because of the vast number of ways a specific protein can be folded. Levinthal’s paradox states that going through the number of foldings one by one, looking for the correct folding, would take longer than the universe’s age, yet proteins fold correctly in our cells in microseconds. It may be possible to use quantum computing to simulate protein folding, which could be much faster than conventional simulations of protein folding done with a classical computer.
Why do we want to simulate protein folding? Because it helps us to understand how proteins behave in the body, where incorrect folding can lead to diseases like Alzheimer’s and malaria.
Contact – Researchers
Hanna Linn
Hanna Linn is a second-year PhD student at WACQT at Chalmers, and her project is quantum algorithms in life science. Her current main project is working on protein folding with QAOA.