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Intriguing power of weak bonds (Noncovalent interactions in biodisciplines) by Pavel Hobza and Zdeněk Havlas.

The role of weak noncovalent interactions in nature, especially in biodisciplines, is demonstrated. First, it is emphasized how strongly properties of the most common solvent and biomedium, water, are influenced by noncovalent interactions. Also structure and properties of typical biomolecules, nucleic acids and proteins result from noncovalent interactions, and the important role of dispersion forces in these systems is stressed. The physical origin of the noncovalent interactions is explained. The very important manifestation of the noncovalent interactions in biology, hydrogen bond, is extended to the newly discovered type of hydrogen bond, called improper (blueshifted) hydrogen bond. Finally, the role of noncovalent interactions in silico drug design is breifly discussed.