Graphical models and directional statistics capture protein structure

One of the major unsolved problems in modern day molecular biology is the protein folding problem: given an amino acid sequence, predict the overall three-dimensional structure of the corresponding protein. It has been known since the seminal work of Anfinsen (1973) in the early seventies that the sequence of a protein encodes its structure, but the exact details of the encoding still remain elusive. Since the protein folding problem is of enormous practical, theoretical and medical importance, and in addition forms a fascinating intellectual challenge, it is often called the holy grail of bioinformatics.