Grasping Gap Geometry
Friday, February 1, 2013 - 12:21
in Physics & Chemistry
Mathematicians have shown how to use an algorithm for analyzing void space in sphere packing where the spheres need not all be the same size. This method could be applied to analyze the geometry of liquids present between multi-sized spheres that are akin to a model for porous material. This provides a tool for studying the flow of such fluids through porous material. More importantly, it can also be used to study the packing geometry of proteins. There have been several previous attempts to calculate the volume and the surface area of packing of spheres. But few methods have taken into account the connectivity of empty space between spheres, which matters, for example, when detecting buried cavities in proteins. read more