/molecular-dynamics

name: molecular-dynamics
description: Run and analyze molecular dynamics simulations with OpenMM and MDAnalysis. Set up protein/small molecule systems, define force fields, run energy minimization and production MD, analyze trajectories (RMSD, RMSF, contact maps, free energy surfaces). For structural biology, drug binding, and biophysics.
license: MIT
metadata:
  version: "1.1"
  skill-author: Kuan-lin Huang

Molecular Dynamics

Overview

Molecular dynamics (MD) simulation computationally models the time evolution of molecular systems by integrating Newton's equations of motion. This skill covers two complementary tools:

• **OpenMM** (https://openmm.org/): High-performance MD simulation engine with GPU support, Python API, and flexible force field support
• **MDAnalysis** (https://mdanalysis.org/): Python library for reading, writing, and analyzing MD trajectories from all major simulation packages

**Installation:**

conda install -c conda-forge openmm mdanalysis nglview
# or
uv pip install openmm mdanalysis

When to Use This Skill

Use molecular dynamics when:

• **Protein stability analysis**: How does a mutation affect protein dynamics?
• **Drug binding simulations**: Characterize binding mode and residence time of a ligand
• **Conformational sampling**: Explore protein flexibility and conformational changes
• **Protein-protein interaction**: Model interface dynamics and binding energetics
• **RMSD/RMSF analysis**: Quantify structural fluctuations from a reference structure
• **Free energy estimation**: Compute binding free energy or conformational free energy
• **Membrane simulations**: Model proteins in lipid bilayers
• **Intrinsically disordered proteins**: Study IDR conformational ensembles

Core Workflow: OpenMM Simulation

1. System Preparation

from openmm.app import *
from openmm import *
from openmm.unit import *
import sys

def prepare_system_from_pdb(pdb_file, forcefield_name="amber14-all.xml",
                              water_model="amber14/tip3pfb.xml"):
    """
    Prepare an OpenMM system from a PDB file.

    Args:
        pdb_file: Path to cleaned PDB file (use PDBFixer for raw PDB files)
        forcefield_name: Force field XML file
        water_model: Water model XML file

    Returns:
        pdb, forcefield, system, topology
    """
    # Load PDB
    pdb = PDBFile(pdb_file)

    # Load force field
    forcefield = ForceField(forcefield_name, water_model)

    # Add hydrogens and solvate
    modeller = Modeller(pdb.topology, pdb.positions)
    modeller.addHydrogens(forcefield)

    # Add solvent box (10 Å padding, 150 mM NaCl)
    modeller.addSolvent(
        forcefield,
        model='tip3p',
        padding=10*angstroms,
        ionicStrength=0.15*molar
    )

    print(f"System: {modeller.topology.getNumAtoms()} atoms, "
          f"{modeller.topology.getNumResidues()} residues")

    # Create system
    system = forcefield.createSystem(
        modeller.topology,
        nonbondedMethod=PME,         # Particle Mesh Ewald for long-range electrostatics
        nonbondedCutoff=1.0*nanometer,
        constraints=HBonds,           # Constrain hydrogen bonds (allows 2 fs timestep)
        rigidWater=True,
        ewaldErrorTolerance=0.0005
    )

    return modeller, system

2. Energy Minimization

from openmm.app import *
from openmm import *
from openmm.unit import *

def minimize_energy(modeller, system, output_pdb="minimized.pdb",
                     max_iterations=1000, tolerance=10.0):
    """
    Energy minimize the system to remove steric clashes.

    Args:
        modeller: Modeller object with topology and positions
        system: OpenMM System
        output_pdb: Path to save minimized structure
        max_iterations: Maximum minimization steps
        tolerance: Convergence criterion in kJ/mol/nm

    Returns:
        simulation object with minimized positions
    """
    # Set up integrator (doesn't matter for minimization)
    integrator = LangevinMiddleIntegrator(300*kelvin, 1/picosecond, 0.004*picoseconds)

    # Create simulation
    # Use GPU if available (CUDA or OpenCL), fall back to CPU
    try:
        platform = Platform.getPlatformByName('CUDA')
        properties = {'DeviceIndex': '0', 'Precision': 'mixed'}
    except Exception:
        try:
            platform = Platform.getPlatformByName('OpenCL')
            properties = {}
        except Exception:
            platform = Platform.getPlatformByName('CPU')
            properties = {}

    simulation = Simulation(
        modeller.topology, system, integrator,
        platform, properties
    )
    simulation.context.setPositions(modeller.positions)

    # Check initial energy
    state = simulation.context.getState(getEnergy=True)
    print(f"Initial energy: {state.getPotentialEnergy()}")

    # Minimize
    simulation.minimizeEnergy(
        tolerance=tolerance*kilojoules_per_mole/nanometer,
        maxIterations=max_iterations
    )

    state = simulation.context.getState(getEnergy=True, getPositions=True)
    print(f"Minimized energy: {state.getPotentialEnergy()}")

    # Save minimized structure
    with open(output_pdb, 'w') as f:
        PDBFile.writeFile(simulation.topology, state.getPositions(), f)

    return simulation

3. NVT Equilibration

from openmm.app import *
from openmm import *
from openmm.unit import *

def run_nvt_equilibration(simulation, n_steps=50000, temperature=300,
                            report_interval=1000, output_prefix="nvt"):
    """
    NVT equilibration: constant N, V, T.
    Equilibrate velocities to target temperature.

    Args:
        simulation: OpenMM Simulation (after minimization)
        n_steps: Number of MD steps (50000 × 2fs = 100 ps)
        temperature: Temperature in Kelvin
        report_interval: Steps between data reports
        output_prefix: File prefix for trajectory and log
    """
    # Add position restraints for backbone during NVT