2005/02/25 by Grace Brannigan, Peter F. Philips, Frank L. H. Brown · 1 citation
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · Engineering · Physics and Astronomy · #Force Microscopy Techniques and Applications #Lipid Membrane Structure and Behavior #Nanopore and Nanochannel Transport Studies #cond-mat.soft #cond-mat.stat-mech
paper · pdf · doi:10.1103/physreve.72.011915
5 pages, 5 figures
arxiv created 2005/02/25 · openalex publication_date 2005/07/26 · arxiv updated 2009/12/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
A minimalist simulation model for lipid bilayers is presented. Each lipid is represented by a flexible chain of beads in implicit solvent. The hydrophobic effect is mimicked through an intermolecular pair potential localized at the "water"/hydrocarbon tail interface. This potential guarantees realistic interfacial tensions for lipids in a bilayer geometry. Lipids self-assemble into bilayer structures that display fluidity and elastic properties consistent with experimental model membrane systems. Varying molecular flexibility allows for tuning of elastic moduli and area per molecule over a range of values seen in experimental systems.