# Patchy particles to prepare coarse-grain simulations

**URL:** <https://gromacs.bioexcel.eu/t/patchy-particles-to-prepare-coarse-grain-simulations/10805>\
**Category:** User discussions\
**Tags:** simulation-setup\
**Created:** [December 12, 2024, 9:47pm UTC](https://gromacs.bioexcel.eu/t/patchy-particles-to-prepare-coarse-grain-simulations/10805 "2024-12-12T21:47:55Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![JannisK97](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/cdc98d/32.png) [@JannisK97](https://gromacs.bioexcel.eu/u/JannisK97)\
**Post date:** [December 12, 2024, 9:47pm UTC](https://gromacs.bioexcel.eu/t/patchy-particles-to-prepare-coarse-grain-simulations/10805/1 "2024-12-12T21:47:56Z")

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Hello everyone,

I have read about coarse-grain simulations of microgel particles and I want to know if I can replicate this in gromacs. In [this paper](https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.macromol.7b01600) they were using patchy particles (bi- and tetravalent) to set up the structure with custom interactions between the patches. When the structure was self-assembled they replace the patchy particles with a bead-spring model.

I am quite new to MD-Simulation and I have only prepared all-atom simulations so far. Is gromacs able to simulate patchy particles with custom interactions or should I use other software for this? And if it is not, which software would be a good choice ? My python knowledge is quite good, if there are some ideas with extra coding.

Thanks for any help

GROMACS version: 2024.4  
GROMACS modification: No