MemBuilder: a web-based graphical interface to build heterogeneously mixed membrane bilayers for the GROMACS biomolecular simulation program

MOTIVATION Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations have had a profound impact on studies of membrane proteins during past two decades, but the accuracy of MD simulations of membranes is limited by the quality of membrane models and the applied force fields. Membrane models used in MD simulations mostly contain one kind of lipid molecule. This is far from reality, for biological membranes always contain more than one kind of lipid molecule. Moreover, the lipid composition and their distribution are functionally important. As a result, there is a necessity to prepare more realistic lipid membranes containing different types of lipids at physiological concentrations. RESULTS To automate and simplify the building process of heterogeneous lipid bilayers as well as providing molecular topologies for included lipids based on both united and all-atom force fields, we provided MemBuilder as a web-based graphical user interface. AVAILABILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION MemBuilder is a free web server available from www.membuilder.org.