CHARMM-GUI Quick Bilayer: Simple and Intuitive One-Stop Membrane Bilayer Builder

Molecular modeling and simulation play a crucial role in advancing our understanding of protein function at the molecular level, offering insights that complement experimental approaches. In particular, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations with explicit lipid bilayers have become essential for a molecular level understanding of protein-lipid interactions that regulate the structure, dynamics, and function of membrane proteins. CHARMM-GUI (http://www.charmm-gui.org) is a web-based graphical user interface designed to generate MD simulation systems and input files for various simulation engines. Here, we introduce Quick Bilayer, a new CHARMM-GUI module, which provides a streamlined and efficient one-stop platform for assembling protein structures with a diverse set of biologically relevant membrane environments. It features advanced search capabilities that allow users to identify specific lipid types and design bilayers with customized lipid compositions to meet specific research needs. To further enhance usability and scalability, Quick Bilayer now supports a REST-like API that enables seamless integration with backend services. This newly implemented command-line interface allows users to programmatically access the module, facilitating automated workflows and large-scale system generation.