Flexible lipid bilayers in implicit solvent.

A minimalist simulation model for lipid bilayers is presented. Each lipid is represented by a flexible chain of beads in implicit solvent. The hydrophobic effect is mimicked through an intermolecular pair potential localized at the "water"/hydrocarbon tail interface. This potential guarantees realistic interfacial tensions for lipids in a bilayer geometry. Lipids self-assemble into bilayer structures that display fluidity and elastic properties consistent with experimental model membrane systems. Varying molecular flexibility allows for tuning of elastic moduli and area per molecule over a range of values seen in experimental systems.