New generation of elastic network models
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Updated: Mar 28, 2026

Finite Element Modelling of a Cellular Electric Microenvironment
Published on: May 18, 2021
José Ramón López-Blanco1, Pablo Chacón1
1Department of Biological Chemical Physics, Rocasolano Physical Chemistry Institute C.S.I.C., Serrano 119, 28006 Madrid, Spain.
Abstract:
The intrinsic flexibility of proteins and nucleic acids can be grasped from remarkably simple mechanical models of particles connected by springs. In recent decades, Elastic Network Models (ENMs) combined with Normal Model Analysis widely confirmed their ability to predict biologically relevant motions of biomolecules and soon became a popular methodology to reveal large-scale dynamics in multiple structural biology scenarios. The simplicity, robustness, low computational cost, and relatively high accuracy are the reasons behind the success of ENMs. This review focuses on recent advances in the development and application of ENMs, paying particular attention to combinations with experimental data. Successful application scenarios include large macromolecular machines, structural refinement, docking, and evolutionary conservation.
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