Documentation/Nodes/Cheminformatics

Cheminformatics Nodes

Molecular structure processing and optimization toolkit with RDKit and OpenBabel integration for comprehensive cheminformatics workflows.

Node Reference

Detailed documentation for each cheminformatics node available in Bioshift.

RDKit Minimize

Energy minimization of molecular structures using RDKit

Type: rdkit_minimizeCategory: Molecular Optimization

Key Features

  • Force field-based optimization
  • Multiple force field options
  • Conformer generation integration
  • Energy convergence criteria
  • 3D coordinate generation
  • Ring system handling

Input Ports

moleculesmolecules

Molecules to minimize

Output Ports

minimized_moleculesmolecules

Energy-minimized structures

energiesdata

Final energy values

convergence_infodata

Minimization convergence data

OpenBabel Minimize

Molecular energy minimization using OpenBabel

Type: openbabel_minimizeCategory: Molecular Optimization

Key Features

  • Multiple force field support
  • Format conversion integration
  • Batch processing capabilities
  • Progress tracking
  • Error handling and validation
  • Structure validation

Input Ports

moleculesmolecules

Molecules to minimize

Output Ports

minimized_moleculesmolecules

Optimized molecular structures

optimization_logdata

Optimization process log

energy_comparisondata

Before/after energy comparison

Conformer Generation

Generate multiple conformers for molecular structures

Type: conformer_genCategory: Conformational Analysis

Key Features

  • Systematic conformer search
  • Energy-based conformer selection
  • RMSD-based clustering
  • Force field energy calculation
  • Conformer diversity optimization
  • Maximum conformer limits

Input Ports

moleculesmolecules

Input molecular structures

Output Ports

conformersmolecules

Generated conformers

energiesdata

Conformer energies

rmsd_matrixdata

RMSD between conformers

Workflow Examples

Common cheminformatics workflows using these optimization nodes.

Molecular Structure Preparation

Complete workflow for preparing molecules for computational analysis

  1. 1Load molecules from SDF file
  2. 2Generate multiple conformers
  3. 3Energy minimize all conformers
  4. 4Select lowest energy conformer
  5. 5Validate molecular structure
  6. 6Save optimized structures

Conformational Analysis Pipeline

Analyze molecular flexibility and conformational space

  1. 1Import molecular structure
  2. 2Generate diverse conformers
  3. 3Calculate energy for each conformer
  4. 4Cluster similar conformers
  5. 5Analyze RMSD distribution
  6. 6Visualize conformational space

Force Field Comparison

Compare different force fields for molecular optimization

  1. 1Load molecular structures
  2. 2Minimize with RDKit force fields
  3. 3Minimize with OpenBabel force fields
  4. 4Compare final energies
  5. 5Analyze structural differences
  6. 6Generate comparison report

RDKit vs OpenBabel

Understanding the differences between RDKit and OpenBabel minimization approaches.

RDKit Minimize

  • Native Python integration
  • Multiple force field options
  • Seamless with RDKit molecules
  • Fast for small molecules
  • Rich cheminformatics toolkit

OpenBabel Minimize

  • Comprehensive format support
  • Extensive force field library
  • Better for large molecules
  • Advanced optimization algorithms
  • Command-line interface integration