What is the minimum degree of polymeric complexity
required to model successfully the functional properties of
proteins in food colloids? This is the main question
addressed in Euston’s article (pp. 321–327). In principle, a
molecular dynamics (MD) simulation can model protein
diffusion and chain dynamics down to the atomic scale,
taking full account of molecular flexibility, specific sidechain packing effects, and interactions with solvent molecules and small ions. However, current computing power
restricts such highly detailed MD simulations to single small
protein molecules in a modest solvent bath over a total
simulation timescale of just a few nanoseconds. In contrast,
to describe properly the essential structural and kinetic
features of protein layers and assemblies, we really need to
simulate systems of thousands of protein molecules over
timescales running to hundreds of seconds. The solution lies
in moving away from full-blown MD simulations and
making intelligent simplifications: for instance, developing
Brownian dynamics simulations to model proteins on the
mesoscopic scale, using lattice-based Monte Carlo simulations to determine equilibrium structural properties, and/or
modelling the protein molecules as block copolymers with a
highly restricted number of segment types (hydrophobic,
hydrophilic, charged, etc.). It appears that combinations of
these and other strategies are especially suitable for
modelling the most polymeric and amphiphilic of all the
food proteins—the caseins.
What is the minimum degree of polymeric complexityrequired to model successfully the functional properties ofproteins in food colloids? This is the main questionaddressed in Euston’s article (pp. 321–327). In principle, amolecular dynamics (MD) simulation can model proteindiffusion and chain dynamics down to the atomic scale,taking full account of molecular flexibility, specific sidechain packing effects, and interactions with solvent molecules and small ions. However, current computing powerrestricts such highly detailed MD simulations to single smallprotein molecules in a modest solvent bath over a totalsimulation timescale of just a few nanoseconds. In contrast,to describe properly the essential structural and kineticfeatures of protein layers and assemblies, we really need tosimulate systems of thousands of protein molecules overtimescales running to hundreds of seconds. The solution liesin moving away from full-blown MD simulations andmaking intelligent simplifications: for instance, developingBrownian dynamics simulations to model proteins on themesoscopic scale, using lattice-based Monte Carlo simulations to determine equilibrium structural properties, and/ormodelling the protein molecules as block copolymers with ahighly restricted number of segment types (hydrophobic,hydrophilic, charged, etc.). It appears that combinations ofthese and other strategies are especially suitable formodelling the most polymeric and amphiphilic of all thefood proteins—the caseins.
การแปล กรุณารอสักครู่..
