Fractal globule as a molecular machine

A fractal (crumpled) polymer globule, which is an unusual equilibrium state of a condensed unknotted macromolecule that is experimentally found in the DNA folding in human chromosomes, has been formed through the hierarchical collapse of a polymer chain. The relaxation dynamics of the elastic network constructed through the contact matrix of the fractal globule has been studied. It has been found that the fractal globule in its dynamic properties is similar to a molecular machine.