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11 Folding and binding From folding towards function Editorial overview David Baker and Wendell A Lim Current Opinion in Structural Biology 2002, 12:11–13 0959-440X/02/$ — see front matter © 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved. David Baker Introduction Department of Biochemistry and Howard A specific protein sequence encodes a unique tertiary structure. Ultimately, Hughes Medical Institute, University of however, expression of the genetic information requires that this structure Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA; bind and modify other molecules, that is, carry out a specific biological function. e-mail: dabaker@u.washington.edu For the past several years, previous Folding and binding sections of Current David’s laboratory is focused on the Opinion in Structural Biology have almost exclusively focused on the protein prediction and design of protein folding problem: the sequence determinants of the native state, the kinetics folding mechanisms, protein of folding and the process by which folding occurs in vivo. Indeed, in the most structures and, most recently, recent (February 2001) section, to which one of us contributed an article, protein–protein interactions. there was a rather remarkable convergence of ideas on protein folding from both experimental and computational approaches, with similar points being made in many of the different reviews. We therefore have decided to Wendell A Lim