Editing Electrophysiology (section)

=== Computational electrophysiology ===

While not strictly constituting an experimental measurement, methods have been developed to examine the conductive properties of proteins and biomembranes ''[[in silico]]''. These are mainly [[molecular dynamics]] simulations in which a model system like a [[lipid bilayer]] is subjected to an externally applied voltage. Studies using these setups have been able to study dynamical phenomena like [[electroporation]] of membranes<ref>{{cite journal |doi=10.1529/biophysj.106.094797 |title=Ion Leakage through Transient Water Pores in Protein-Free Lipid Membranes Driven by Transmembrane Ionic Charge Imbalance |year=2007 |last1=Gurtovenko |first1=Andrey A. |last2=Vattulainen |first2=Ilpo |journal=Biophysical Journal |volume=92 |issue=6 |pages=1878–90 |pmid=17208976 |pmc=1861780|bibcode=2007BpJ....92.1878G }}</ref> and ion translocation by channels.<ref>{{Cite journal |doi=10.1016/j.bpj.2011.06.010 |title=Computational Electrophysiology: The Molecular Dynamics of Ion Channel Permeation and Selectivity in Atomistic Detail |year=2011 |last1=Kutzner |first1=Carsten |last2=Grubmüller |first2=Helmut |last3=De Groot |first3=Bert L. |last4=Zachariae |first4=Ulrich |journal=Biophysical Journal |volume=101 |issue=4 |pages=809–17 |pmid=21843471 |pmc=3175076|bibcode=2011BpJ...101..809K }}</ref>

The benefit of such methods is the high level of detail of the active conduction mechanism, given by the inherently high resolution and data density that atomistic simulation affords. There are significant drawbacks, given by the uncertainty of the legitimacy of the model and the computational cost of modeling systems that are large enough and over sufficient timescales to be considered reproducing the macroscopic properties of the systems themselves. While atomistic simulations may access timescales close to, or into the microsecond domain, this is still several orders of magnitude lower than even the resolution of experimental methods such as patch-clamping.{{Citation needed|date=April 2013}}