Nonlinear Excitations in Biomolecules

1. Front Matter

   Pages I-XV

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2. The intersection of nonlinear science, molecular biology, and condensed matter physics. Viewpoints

   1. The intersection of nonlinear science, molecular biology, and condensed matter physics. Viewpoints

      • J. A. Krumhansl

      Pages 1-9

3. Introduction to solitons and their applications in physics and biology

   1. Introduction to solitons and their applications in physics and biology

      • M. Peyrard

      Pages 11-25

4. DNA, structure and function

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 27-28

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   2. Selected topics in molecular biology, in need of “hard” science

      • C. Reiss

      Pages 29-55

   3. Modelling the DNA double helix: techniques and results

      • R. Lavery

      Pages 57-82

   4. Potential-of-mean-force description of ionic interactions and structural hydration in biomolecular systems

      • G. Hummer, D. M. Soumpasis, A. E. García

      Pages 83-99

   5. Inelastic neutron scattering studies of oriented DNA

      • H. Grimm, A. Rupprecht

      Pages 101-115

   6. Model simulations of base pair motion in B-DNA

      • M. A. Collins, F. Zhang

      Pages 117-125

   7. A nonlinear model for DNA melting

      • T. Dauxois, M. Peyrard

      Pages 127-136

   8. Dynamics of conformational excitations in the DNA macromolecule

      • A. M. Kosevich, S. N. Volkov

      Pages 137-146

   9. Nonlinear dynamics of plasmid pBR322 promoters

      • M. Salerno

      Pages 147-153

   10. Helical geometry and DNA models

       • G. Gaeta

       Pages 155-164

   11. Nonlinear localized excitations and the dynamics of H-bonds in DNA

       • S. Flach, C. R. Willis

       Pages 165-174

5. Proteins, conformation and dynamics

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 175-176

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   2. Proteins and the physics of complexity

      • H. Frauenfelder

      Pages 177-189

   3. Multi-basin dynamics of a protein in aqueous solution

      • A. E. García

      Pages 191-208

   4. Nonlinear excitations in molecular crystals with chains of peptide bonds

      • M. Barthes

      Pages 209-221

   5. Low temperature Raman spectra of acetanilide and its deuterated derivatives: comparison with normal mode analysis

      • G. De Nunzio

      Pages 223-230

   6. Conformational dynamics of proteins: beyond the nanosecond time scale

      • H. Grubmüller, N. Ehrenhofer, P. Tavan

      Pages 231-240

In the last few years, hopes have emerged that simple concepts could perhaps explain the extremely complicated biomolecular processes which are known to a greater and greater accuracy thanks to the extraordinary progress of biology. In parallel, powerful methods in physics, especially nonlinearity and cooperative effects, have been developed. They apply especially to biological phenomena and can explain coherent excitations with remarkable properties. This book provides a pedagogical introduction to the theory of nonlinear excitations and solitons in a biological environment, and also to the structure and function of biomolecules as well as energy and charge transport in biophysics.

• DNA
• Peptide
• base
• biophysics
• biopolymers
• cluster
• low temperature
• mechanics
• molecule
• nonlinear dynamics
• proteins
• scattering
• spectra
• temperature
• translation

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