Fractals are shapes that repeat from the largest to the smallest scales, maintaining their self-similarity across different magnifications. While fractals are relatively common in nature, such as in snowflakes and fern leaves, regular fractals that match almost exactly across scales are exceptionally rare. The protein makes these beautiful triangles, and as the fractal grows, we see these larger and larger triangular voids in the middle of them, which is totally unlike any protein assembly we’ve ever seen before.
Unique Assembly
The key to the fractal protein’s unique assembly lies in its violation of the rule of symmetry. Unlike typical protein self-assembly, where each individual protein chain adopts the same arrangement relative to its neighbors, the fractal protein’s assembly involves different protein chains making slightly different interactions at different scales, allowing for the formation of the Sierpiński triangle with its large internal voids.