Bands Use Relative Tension Coloring - Red=Stressed; Green=Relaxed

Started by phi16

phi16 Lv 1

Here is a folding strategy that might make banding very useful. Imagine many points scattered on a flat plane. Each point is connected to its nearest 3-6 neighbors with rubber bands. All rubber bands are identical and pull with identical force. Rubber bands have the added feature of being redder the tighter they are pulled. Totally relaxed rubber bands are green. The red/green cluster around each point would give you an idea of the pulling/stresses on each point.

If the points and bands were set loose to find dynamic equilibrium you would soon see an even sea of one shade of red/green as points move around and bands relax into place. Isn't that what we're looking for in folding?

So Pletsch's description of finding an entire area of red and banding it together with 40-50 bands is sort of trying to do the same thing in three dimensions. He might have been on to something without knowing it. The bands are stronger than the attraction/repulsion of side chain chemistry so they would help the section find equilibrium equidistances from each other.

Just a thought.

SUGGESTION

Bands Use Relative Tension Coloring - Red=Stressed; Green=Relaxed

phi16 Lv 1

In this mode, I would want to be able to point to a side chain while wiggling. When I click on the side chain all bands to neighboring side chains appear in color and I could wiggle to make bands an even color or any other way I wanted to move sidechain around.