Protein folding helpers such as TRiC and prefoldin (PFD) are crucial for the correct folding of many essential proteins. In a Nature study, researchers from the Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry investigated for the first time interactions between newly synthesized proteins and TRiC/PFD in their native cellular environment. Using single-particle tracking in living human cells, they showed how TRiC and PFD search for nascent chains during translation, assist their folding, and guide them to the native conformation. The study proposes a virtual folding compartment, the “protected folding zone”, which slows chaperone diffusion and promotes efficient folding.