Capturing Dynamics of Biomolecules - from Experiments to Simulations
A special issue of Membranes (ISSN 2077-0375). This special issue belongs to the section "Biological Membrane Dynamics and Computation".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (5 September 2022) | Viewed by 5025
Special Issue Editor
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Biological membranes comprising of lipids, proteins and carbohydrates regulate cellular functions allowing life to exist and any malfunction results in pathogenesis of several diseases. Understanding how these molecules function has been an active area of research for over two decades and recently there has been a rapid expansion in the field as a result of new approaches coupled with improved biophysical techniques to characterize biological samples. Furthermore, advances in supercomputers and ever-improving simulation algorithms have enabled simulations to converge with experiments probing dynamics of molecules at atomistic resolution.
The physical and chemical properties of lipids provide a boundary that separates the cells interior from its exterior environment, though allowing selective permeation of small molecules to maintain internal cell homeostasis. Small nonpolar molecules such as O2 and CO2 can readily diffuse across the cell membranes, whereas, ions and large molecules such as drugs and hormones can diffuse through specific actions of transporters, pore formation, ion imbalance etc. Cell membranes are complex and are composed of thousands of different lipid species, among them regulatory roles of polyunsaturated lipids, cholesterol, gangliosides, phosphatidylinositol, phosphatidylserine have been highlighted in modulating protein dynamics and functions. Despite, carbohydrates being key constituents of cell membranes, the interactions with the membranes and membrane proteins is not well understood. In addition, lipids also find application in medicine and drug delivery, including the current development of COVID-19 vaccines where the mRNA is encapsulated in lipid nanoparticles.
In this Special Issue, we encourage authors to submit original research manuscripts, reviews or communications on membrane transport proteins, peptides inducing pore formation, specific lipid-protein interactions, drug/nanoparticle-membrane interactions, carbohydrate-carbohydrate and carbohydrate-membrane interactions and lipid-based drug delivery which will greatly enhance our understanding of these biomolecules and provide a foundation for future investigations into biomolecular structure and dynamics.
Dr. Chetan Poojari
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- membrane-protein/peptide interactions
- membrane-drug/nanoparticle/small molecule interactions
- lipid-based drug delivery
- pore formation
- membrane curvature and fusion
- carbohydrate-carbohydrate and carbohydrate-membrane interactions
- lipid droplets
- structure and dynamics of membrane mimetics: nanodiscs, bicelles, micelles
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