It is now generally agreed that a deeper understanding of biological processes requires a multi-disciplinary approach employing the tools of biology, chemistry, and physics. Such understanding involves study of biomacromolecules and their functions, which includes how they interact, their reactions, and how information is transmitted between them. This volume is devoted to quantum mechanical simulation techniques, which have developed rapidly in recent years. It covers quantum mechanical calculations of large systems, molecular dynamics combining quantum and classical algorithms, quantum dynamical simulations, and electron and proton transfer processes in proteins and in solutions.

Since the second half of the 20th century machine computations have played a critical role in science and engineering. Computer-based techniques have become especially important in molecular biology, since they often represent the only viable way to gain insights into the behavior of a biological system as a whole. The complexity of biological systems, which usually needs to be analyzed on different time- and size-scales and with different levels of accuracy, requires the application of different approaches, ranging from comparative analysis of sequences and structural databases, to the analysis of networks of interdependence between cell components and processes, through coarse-grained modeling to atomically detailed simulations, and finally to molecular quantum mechanics. This book provides a comprehensive overview of modern computer-based techniques for computing the structure, properties and dynamics of biomolecules and biomolecular processes. The twenty-two chapters, written by scientists from all over the world, address the theory and practice of computer simulation techniques in the study of biological phenomena. The chapters are grouped into four thematic sections dealing with the following topics: the methodology of molecular simulations; applications of molecular simulations; bioinformatics methods and use of experimental information in molecular simulations; and selected applications of molecular quantum mechanics. The book includes an introductory chapter written by Harold A. Scheraga, one of the true pioneers in simulation studies of biomacromolecules.

The chemical and biological sciences face unprecedented opportunities in the 21st century. A confluence of factors from parallel universes - advances in experimental techniques in biomolecular structure determination, progress in theoretical modeling and simulation for large biological systems, and breakthroughs in computer technology - has opened new avenues of opportunity as never before. Now, experimental data can be interpreted and further analysed by modeling, and predictions from any approach can be tested and advanced through companion methodologies and technologies. This two volume set describes innovations in biomolecular modeling and simulation, in both the algorithmic and application fronts. With contributions from experts in the field, the books describe progress and innovation in areas including: simulation algorithms for dynamics and enhanced configurational sampling, force field development, implicit solvation models, coarse-grained models, quantum-mechanical simulations, protein folding, DNA polymerase mechanisms, nucleic acid complexes and simulations, RNA structure analysis and design and other important topics in structural biology modeling. The books are aimed at graduate students and experts in structural biology and chemistry and the emphasis is on reporting innovative new approaches rather than providing comprehensive reviews on each subject.

This book is the third volume in this highly successful series. Since the first volume in 1989 and the second in 1993, many exciting developments have occurred in the development of simulation techniques and their application to key biological problems such as protein folding, protein structure prediction and structure-based design, and in how, by combining experimental and theoretical approaches, very large biological systems can be studied at the molecular level. This series attempts to capture that progress. Volume 3 includes contributions that highlight developments in methodology which enable longer and more realistic simulations (e.g. multiple time steps and variable reduction techniques), a study of force fields for proteins and new force field development, a novel approach to the description of molecular shape and the use of molecular shape descriptors, the study of condensed phase chemical reactions, the use of electrostatic techniques in the study of protonation, equilibria and flexible docking studies, structure refinement using experimental data (X-ray, NMR, neutron, infrared) and theoretical methods (solvation models, normal mode analysis, MD simulations, MC lattice dynamics, and knowledge-based potentials). There are several chapters that show progress in the development of methodologies for the study of folding processes, binding affinities, and the prediction of ligand-protein complexes. The chapters, contributed by experienced researchers, many of whom are leaders in their field of study, are organised to cover developments in: simulation methodology the treatment of electrostatics protein structure refinement the combined experimental and theoretical approaches to the study of very large biological systems applications and methodology involved in the study of protein folding applications and methodology associated with structure-based design.

Quantum Simulations of Materials and Biological Systems features contributions from leading world experts in the fields of density functional theory (DFT) and its applications to material and biological systems. The recent developments of correlation functionals, implementations of Time-dependent algorithm into DFTB+ method are presented. The applications of DFT method to large materials and biological systems such as understanding of optical and electronic properties of nanoparticles, X-ray structure refinement of proteins, the catalytic process of enzymes and photochemistry of phytochromes are detailed. In addition, the book reviews the recent developments of methods for protein design and engineering, as well as ligand-based drug design. Some insightful information about the 2011 International Symposium on Computational Sciences is also provided. Quantum Simulations of Materials and Biological Systems is aimed at faculties and researchers in the fields of computational physics, chemistry and biology, as well as at the biotech and pharmaceutical industries.

This book covers a range of topics in quantum mechanics and molecular dynamics simulation, including computational modeling and machine learning approaches. The book also provides a Python GUI and tutorials for simulating molecular biological systems and presents case studies of quantum mechanics simulations for predicting electronic properties. Its pedagogical formatting makes it easy for students to understand and follow and has been praised for providing clear and detailed explanations of complex topics. This book is ideal for graduate students and researchers in theoretical and computational biophysics, physics, chemistry, and materials science, as well as postgraduates in applied mathematics, computer science, and bioinformatics.