Monte Carlo simulations of vesicles and fluid membranes transformations.
The appearance of compartmentalization is recognized as a key step in biogenesis. The study of the dynamical behaviour of amphiphilic close membranes at equilibrium or under some external stress (osmotic pressure or dehydration process) can be useful in order to better elucidate the role of vesicles in the origin of life and to get insight into the molecular and membrane properties that bring to a spontaneous vesicle division. A Monte Carlo approach to simulate the evolution of close membranes under an external stress will be presented. This approach is mainly based on the accepted surface energy model introduced by Helfrich (1973) and Seifert (1997a). Some preliminary results will be also illustrated and possible developments and limits of this method discussed.
Institute for Inorganic Chemistry, ETH Hoenggerberg, Wolfgang-Pauli-Strasse 10, CH-8093 Zürich, Switzerland. piotto@inorg.chem.ethz.ch
Stefano
S
Piotto
Fabio
F
Mavelli
D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D009010:Monte Carlo Method
D008567:Membranes, Artificial