Diffusive Dynamics of the Reaction Coordinate for Protein Folding   Funnels
  The quantitative description of model protein folding kinetics using a diffusive collective reaction coordinate is examined. Direct folding kinetics, diffusional coefficients and free energy profiles are determined from Monte Carlo simulations of a 27-mer, 3 letter code lattice model, which corresponds roughly to a small helical protein. Analytic folding calculations, using simple diffusive rate theory, agree extremely well with the full simulation results. Folding in this system is best seen as a diffusive, funnel-like process. 
N. D. Socci and J. N. Onuchic (UCSD) and P. G. Wolynes (UIUC)