Exploring membrane and protein dynamics with dissipative particle dynamics

Abstract

In this chapter, we review recent approaches and results when studying membrane and protein dynamics by means of dissipative particle dynamics (DPD). First, we introduce and discuss DPD as a method, for example, the choice of the thermostat, which is of interest when constructing a DPD code. Then, we review important results on pure membranes and lipid-water systems that have been obtained with DPD. Finally, we focus on simulations of membranes with associated or embedded model proteins that may trigger future research on the fundamental interactions of lipids and proteins in the context of living cells.