This paper is published as part of a PCCP Themed Issue on: Coarse-grained modeling of soft condensed matter Guest Editor: Roland Faller (UC Davis) Editorial Coarse-grained modeling of soft condensed matter Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2009 DOI: 10.1039/b903229c Perspective Multiscale modeling of emergent materials: biological and soft matter Teemu Murtola, Alex Bunker, Ilpo Vattulainen, Markus Deserno and Mikko Karttunen, Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2009 DOI: 10.1039/b818051b Communication Dissipative particle dynamics simulation of quaternary bolaamphiphiles: multi-colour tiling in hexagonal columnar phases Martin A. Bates and Martin Walker, Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2009 DOI: 10.1039/b818926a Papers Effective control of the transport coefficients of a coarse- grained liquid and polymer models using the dissipative particle dynamics and Lowe–Andersen equations of motion Hu-Jun Qian, Chee Chin Liew and Florian Müller-Plathe, Phys. Chem. Chem. 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