Molecular and Nanodynamics: from atoms to biomolecules

Abstract

CAMOP proudly presents a special issue dedicated to Professor Anna Giardini on the occasion of her retirement. The following articles summarize the highlights of contributions presented during the meeting `Molecular and Nanodynamics: from atoms to biomolecules' on 12–13 October 2007 at the University of Rome `La Sapienza'. Both the meeting and this issue reflect the impact the work of Professor Giardini had and still has, both in Italy—from which many contributions were submitted—and in the rest of the world. More than 125 participants contributed to the meeting and with 20 invited talks and more than 50 poster contributions, the meeting was both scientifically diverse and intense. This is also the case with this special issue: many topics at the base of, related to, or the consequence of studies by Professor Giardini are summarized by specialists in their field. In total 26 contributions cover both experimental and theoretical studies. The critical reader will notice that only 25 articles follow which is due to the unfortunate event that the contribution by Candori et al—Benchmarking a model potential for the investigation of intermolecular interactions—was published in an earlier issue of Physica Scripta (Physica Scripta 2008 78 038102). This special issue of CAMOP/Physica Scripta collects together papers from colleagues and friends of Anna Giardini, triggered by the stimulating meeting in Rome and inspired through many interactions over the years. We start this special issue with an historical overview, entitled `Anna Giardini's journey from atoms to biomolecules', and we hope, dear reader, that you will enjoy reading the papers collected in this issue. We thank all the contributors for their participation in this project, and remain, on behalf of the organizing committee, with kind regards, Vincenzo Aquilanti Guest Editor