Nature Chemistry, Published online: 10 June 2026; doi:10.1038/s41557-026-02155-0The extent to which crystal packing constrains protein dynamics is hard to decipher. Now a combination of NMR, crystallography and molecular dynamics simulations show that intermolecular contacts can slow ring flips down in crystals or accelerated them in complexes. A thermodynamic and structural analysis provides insights into the origins of the elevated free-energy barrier in crystals.

Protein conformational entropy plays a vital role in functions like binding and catalysis. This Perspective discusses three ways macromolecules use conformational entropy: prepaying entropic costs, re...

The outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria provides a formidable barrier, essential for both pathogenesis and antimicrobial resistance. Biogenesis o…

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), a peer reviewed journal of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) - an authoritative source of high-impact, original research that broadly spans...