Proteins are generally thought to adopt unique structures determined by their amino acid sequences, as outlined by
Anfinsen's dogma. However, proteins are not strictly static objects, but rather populate ensembles of (sometimes similar) conformations. Transitions between these states occur on a variety of length scales (tenths of Å to nm) and time scales (ns to s), and have been linked to functionally relevant phenomena such as
allosteric signaling and enzyme catalysis.