An Elastic Network Model (ENM) describes a protein as a structured elastic object at a coarse-grained level. The most widely used ENMs represent a protein by its Cα atoms connected by springs. We have been developing, evaluating, and applying ENMs for many years, with applications including in particular the interpretation of low-resolution protein structures and the analysis of conformational transitions.
Publications:
Hinsen K
Structural flexibility in proteins: impact of the crystal environment
Bioinformatics. 2008;24(4):521–8
doi:10.1093/bioinformatics/btm625
Hinsen K, Petrescu A, Dellerue S, Bellissent-Funel MC, Kneller GR
Harmonicity in slow protein dynamics
Chem Phys. 2000;261(1–2):25–37
doi:10.1016/S0301–0104(00)00222–6
Hinsen K
Analysis of domain motions by approximate normal mode calculations
Proteins. 1998;33(3):417–29
doi:10.1002/(SICI)1097–0134(19981115)33:33.0.CO;2–8
Software: