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Updated: Sep 28, 2025

DNA Nanotubes as a Versatile Tool to Study Semiflexible Polymers
Published on: October 25, 2017
System-Size Dependence of Helix-Bundle Formation for Generic Semiflexible Polymers
Matthew J Williams1, Michael Bachmann2,3,4
1Soft Matter Systems Research Group, Center for Simulational Physics, The University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA. williams@smsyslab.org.
Abstract:
Helical polymer bundles are an important fixture in biomolecular systems. The particular structural geometry of helix bundles is dependent on many factors including the length of the polymer chain. In this study, we performed Monte Carlo simulations of a coarse-grained model for helical polymers to determine the influence of polymer length on tertiary structure formation. Helical structures of semiflexible polymers are analyzed for several chain lengths under thermal conditions. Structural hyperphase diagrams, parametrized by torsion strength and temperature, are constructed and compared.
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