Studies of peptides
Peptides are of interest because they play a role in cell signaling
and self-assembly processes that lead to membrane fusion.
For these reasons peptides are intensely studied as possible
drugs. The folding of peptides is a difficult area for study since
many peptides appear fluctuate between conformations rather
than assuming a unique structure the way proteins do. Simulations
are important since they lead to an interpretation of experimental
data. A simulation may show the different structural forms of a
peptide. Furthermore, peptides tend to be much smaller than
proteins and thus it easier to model them.