Matti Javanainen
About me
I am an Assistant Professor and the head of the BioInterfaces research group at the Computational Physics Laboratory. We use molecular dynamics simulations to probe the structure, energetics, and dynamics of biological interfaces composed of lipids and proteins, such as monolayers and cellular membranes. We are also involved in various flavours of model and method development.
Research topics
Biomembrane structure and dynamics, lipid monolayer structure and dynamics, pulmonary surfactant, lipid–protein interactions, force field development, simulation methodology development
Research fields
membrane biophysics, physical chemistry, computational biophysics
Latest publications
A comparison of lipid diffusive dynamics in monolayers and bilayers in the context of interleaflet coupling
Mandal, T., Brandt, N., Tempra, C., Javanainen, M., Fábián, B. & Chiantia, S., Jan 2025, In: Biochimica et Biophysica Acta - Biomembranes. 1867, 1, 184388.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Scientific › peer-review
Lipid Scrambling Pathways in the Sec61 Translocon Complex
Javanainen, M., Šimek, J., Tranter, D., O’Keefe, S., Karki, S., Biriukov, D., Šachl, R. & Paavilainen, V. O., 14 May 2025, In: Journal of the American Chemical Society. 147, 19, p. 15970-15984 15 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Scientific › peer-review
Protein Crowding and Cholesterol Increase Cell Membrane Viscosity in a Temperature Dependent Manner
Fábián, B., Vattulainen, I. & Javanainen, M., 9 May 2023, In: Journal of Chemical Theory and Computation. 19, 9, p. 2630-2643 14 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Scientific › peer-review
Martini 3: a general purpose force field for coarse-grained molecular dynamics
Souza, P. C. T., Alessandri, R., Barnoud, J., Thallmair, S., Faustino, I., Grünewald, F., Patmanidis, I., Abdizadeh, H., Bruininks, B. M. H., Wassenaar, T. A., Kroon, P. C., Melcr, J., Nieto, V., Corradi, V., Khan, H. M., Domański, J., Javanainen, M., Martinez-Seara, H., Reuter, N. & Best, R. B. & 6 others, , Apr 2021, In: Nature Methods. 18, 4, p. 382-388 7 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Scientific › peer-review
Pulmonary Surfactant Lipid Reorganization Induced by the Adsorption of the Oligomeric Surfactant Protein B Complex
Liekkinen, J., Enkavi, G., Javanainen, M., Olmeda, B., Pérez-Gil, J. & Vattulainen, I., 2020, In: JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR BIOLOGY. 432, 10, p. 3251-3268 18 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Scientific › peer-review
Rotational Diffusion of Membrane Proteins in Crowded Membranes
Javanainen, M., Ollila, O. H. S. & Martinez-Seara, H., 16 Apr 2020, In: Journal of Physical Chemistry B. 124, 15, p. 2994-3001 8 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Scientific › peer-review
Understanding the Functional Properties of Lipid Heterogeneity in Pulmonary Surfactant Monolayers at the Atomistic Level
Liekkinen, J., de Santos Moreno, B., Paananen, R. O., Vattulainen, I., Monticelli, L., Bernardino de la Serna, J. & Javanainen, M., 16 Nov 2020, In: Frontiers in cell and developmental biology. 8, 16 p., 581016.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Scientific › peer-review
Crystalline Wax Esters Regulate the Evaporation Resistance of Tear Film Lipid Layers Associated with Dry Eye Syndrome
Paananen, R. O., Javanainen, M., Holopainen, J. M. & Vattulainen, I., 25 Jun 2019, In: Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters. 10, 14, p. 3893-3898 6 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Scientific › peer-review
Multiscale Simulations of Biological Membranes: The Challenge To Understand Biological Phenomena in a Living Substance
Enkavi, G., Javanainen, M., Kulig, W., Róg, T. & Vattulainen, I., 8 May 2019, In: Chemical Reviews. 119, 9, p. 5607-5774 168 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Review Article › peer-review
Reduced level of docosahexaenoic acid shifts GPCR neuroreceptors to less ordered membrane regions
Javanainen, M., Enkavi, G., Guixà-Gonzaléz, R., Kulig, W., Martinez-Seara, H., Levental, I. & Vattulainen, I., 1 May 2019, In: PLoS Computational Biology. 15, 5, e1007033.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Scientific › peer-review