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Abstract
We report a high-throughput method that enables us to automatically compute the vibrational
spectra of more than 100,000 proteins available in the Protein Data Bank to date,
in a consistent manner. Using this new algorithm we report a comprehensive database
of the normal mode frequencies of all known protein structures, which has not been
available before. We then use the resulting frequency spectra of the proteins to generate
audible sound by overlaying the molecular vibrations and translating them to the audible
frequency range using the music theoretic concept of transpositional equivalence.
The method, implemented as a Max audio device for use in a digital audio workstation
(DAW), provides unparalleled insights into the rich vibrational signatures of protein
structures, and offers a new way for creative expression by using it as a new type
of musical instrument. This musical instrument is fully defined by the vibrational
feature of almost all known protein structures, making it fundamentally different
from all the traditional instruments that are limited by the material properties of
a few types of conventional engineering materials, such as wood, metals or polymers.