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Title: Detailed Simulations of Cell Biology with Smoldyn 2.1

Journal Article · · PLoS Computational Biology (Online)
 [1];  [2];  [2];  [3]
  1. Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States). Physical Biosciences Division; Tata Inst. of Fundamental Research, Bangalore (India). National Centre for Biological Sciences; Molecular Sciences Inst., Berkeley, CA (United States); DOE/OSTI
  2. Molecular Sciences Inst., Berkeley, CA (United States)
  3. Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States). Physical Biosciences Division; Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States). Howard Hughes Medical Inst. Dept. of Bioengineering; Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States). Virtual Inst. for Microbial Stress and Survival, http://vimss.lbl.gov

Most cellular processes depend on intracellular locations and random collisions of individual protein molecules. To model these processes, we developed algorithms to simulate the diffusion, membrane interactions, and reactions of individual molecules, and implemented these in the Smoldyn program. Compared to the popular MCell and ChemCell simulators, we found that Smoldyn was in many cases more accurate, more computationally efficient, and easier to use. Using Smoldyn, we modeled pheromone response system signaling among yeast cells of opposite mating type. This model showed that secreted Bar1 protease might help a cell identify the fittest mating partner by sharpening the pheromone concentration gradient. This model involved about 200,000 protein molecules, about 7000 cubic microns of volume, and about 75 minutes of simulated time; it took about 10 hours to run. Over the next several years, as faster computers become available, Smoldyn will allow researchers to model and explore systems the size of entire bacterial and smaller eukaryotic cells.

Research Organization:
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Biological and Environmental Research (BER). Biological Systems Science Division
Grant/Contract Number:
AC02-05CH11231
OSTI ID:
1627198
Journal Information:
PLoS Computational Biology (Online), Journal Name: PLoS Computational Biology (Online) Journal Issue: 3 Vol. 6; ISSN 1553-7358
Publisher:
Public Library of ScienceCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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  • M., Stothard, P. ; Rouani, M. ; Sundararaj, S. ; Wishart, D. S. ; Nazhad, B. H. ; Guo, A. ; Ellison,
  • University of Alberta Libraries https://doi.org/10.7939/r3kd1qw7c
text January 2004

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