First regular molecular fractal in nature

A natural protein has been reported to self-assemble into one of the best known regular mathematically complex fractals – a Sierpiński triangle. This is the first time such a discovery has been made at the molecular scale in nature.

Fractals are geometric shapes that are made up of repeating smaller structures that resemble the whole. These shapes are constructed using simple mathematical rules – the patterns are self-similar across multiple length scales – resulting in geometries that are both complex and beautiful. Macroscopic fractals are common in nature – like snowflakes, river networks and mountain ranges – but are restricted to synthetic systems in molecules. Most natural fractals are irregular as their structures at different scales do not exactly match. Synthetic Sierpiński triangles have been created before on the molecular scale but these require precise experimental control.