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Science 18 February 2005:
Vol. 307. no. 5712, p. 1067
DOI: 10.1126/science.1106243
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Brevia

Entropically Driven Helix Formation

Yehuda Snir and Randall D. Kamien*

The helix is a ubiquitous motif for biopolymers. We propose a heuristic, entropically based model that predicts helix formation in a system of hard spheres and semiflexible tubes. We find that the entropy of the spheres is maximized when short stretches of the tube form a helix with a geometry close to that found in natural helices. Our model could be directly tested with wormlike micelles as the tubes, and the effect could be used to self-assemble supramolecular helices.

Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.

* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: kamien{at}physics.upenn.edu

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