{"knowledge_schema": {"broad_category": "Biochemistry \u2192 Protein Structure \u2192 Circular Dichroism Spectroscopy", "refinement": "This problem involves analyzing the secondary structure of peptides using circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy, which provides insights into the conformational states of the peptide.", "specific_scope": "The focus is on interpreting the CD spectrum of a newly synthesized peptide that shows two distinct minima, indicating the presence of multiple secondary structures.", "goal": "Identify the most plausible explanation for the observed CD spectrum, which suggests the peptide may exist in different conformational states."}, "summary": "In this problem, we are analyzing the circular dichroism (CD) spectrum of a newly synthesized peptide that shows two distinct minima, indicating the presence of two different secondary structures. The most likely explanation for this observation is that the peptide exists as a mixture of conformers, which can arise from the flexibility of the peptide backbone or the presence of different folding states. Other options, such as contamination, racemization, or oxidation, are less likely to explain the specific CD spectral features observed."}