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Updated: May 31, 2026

Finite Element Modelling of a Cellular Electric Microenvironment
Published on: May 18, 2021
Electrostatic contribution to DNA condensation--application of 'energy minimization' in a simple model in the strong
1Department of Physics, Chancellor College, University of Malawi, Box 280, Zomba, Malawi. akmukherjee11@hotmail.com
Abstract:
The process of bending of straight DNA to a circular form in the presence of any of the mono-, di-, tri- or tetravalent counterions has been simulated in a strong Coulomb coupling environment, employing a previously developed energy minimization simulation technique. The inherent characteristics of the simulation technique allow the monitoring of the required electrostatic contribution to the bending. The curvature of the bending has been found to play a crucial role in facilitating the electrostatic attractive potential energy. The total electrostatic potential energy has been found to decrease with bending, which indicates that bending straight DNA to a circular form or to a toroidal form in the presence of neutralizing counterions is energetically favourable and is practically a spontaneous phenomenon.
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