Generation and sensing of membrane curvature: Where materials science and biophysics meet

We briefly introduce the biological background of biomembrane curvature generation and sensing. Using several examples from our own research, we illustrate how computational models of different resolution (atomistic, coarse-grained and continuum mechanics) can be used to dissect the underlying physical principles that govern peptide/protein-membrane interactions, which ultimately shape the mechanism and biological function of biomembrane remodeling and curvature sensing. Through these discussions, we hope to highlight that this research area can greatly benefit further cross talks between the materials and biophysics communities. Important mechanistic insights can be obtained by studying model systems using approaches established in the soft matter community, such as the analysis of phase behavior. On the other hand, defining the principles that govern these biological processes can inspire the design of novel strategies that organize non-biological molecules for materials applications. Current challenges in the computational methodologies are also briefly discussed. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.