Date of Completion
7-29-2019
Embargo Period
7-28-2021
Keywords
simulation, curvature, membranes, mitochondria
Major Advisor
Eric May
Associate Advisor
Nathan Alder
Associate Advisor
Philip Yeagle
Field of Study
Molecular and Cell Biology
Degree
Doctor of Philosophy
Open Access
Open Access
Abstract
Biomembranes are essential to cell structure and function. The function of these membranes is dependent not just on their composition of lipids and proteins, but also the distinct morphologies and shapes they present. In recent years, both experiments and simulations have begun to explore the relationship between membrane function and shape, but in this field, there is much to still be explored. The bulk of this work is dedicated to the development and application of techniques to build and study curved membranes in molecular dynamics simulations, using mitochondrial membranes as the primary biological system of study.
Recommended Citation
Boyd, Kevin, "A Novel Approach to Generating Lipid Membranes of Arbitrary Shape and Composition" (2019). Doctoral Dissertations. 2235.
https://digitalcommons.lib.uconn.edu/dissertations/2235