Computer simulations of lipids

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Biomolecules, such as proteins, DNA, lipids, and carbohydrates, exist in a microscopic universe with time and length scales 6-12 orders of magnitude smaller than the meters and seconds in which we measure length and time. They move rapidly on a time scale of nanoseconds and interact with individual water molecules the size of a few tenths of a nanometer. Most biomolecules are very small compared to the wavelength of visible light. This means they cannot be seen with ordinary microscopes, although there are many sophisticated experimental methods to measure aspects of the behaviour, shape, and interactions of biomolecules. Computer modeling is a complimentary approach to such experiments, both by themselves and in direct combination with experiments that otherwise could not be interpreted at a molecular level.