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Molecules of Life

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Structures and Structure Determination

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Visualizing Molecules

Nobel Prizes and PDB structures

Biomolecular Structural Biology

methods for determining atomic structures

Scientists use a variety of experimental methods to discover the inner workings of biological molecules. These include X-ray crystallography, NMR spectroscopy, and electron microscopy. Each method has specific advantages for the exploration of biological molecules.

Molecule of the Month Articles (11)

Adenine Riboswitch in Action

Photoactive Yellow Protein

Ribonuclease A

Selenocysteine Synthase

Trypsin

Twenty Years of Molecules

	Adenine Riboswitch in Action XFEL serial crystallography reveals what happens when adenine binds to a riboswitch
	Lysozyme Lysozyme attacks the cell walls of bacteria
	Myoglobin Myoglobin was the first protein to have its atomic structure determined, revealing how it stores oxygen in muscle cells.
	Nanodiscs and HDL Nanodiscs conveniently package a small piece of membrane for experimental studies.
	PDB Pioneers A dozen historic structures set the foundation for the PDB archive
	Pepsin Pepsin digests proteins in strong stomach acid
	Photoactive Yellow Protein Researchers use synchrotrons and X-ray lasers to reveal the rapid processes of light sensing.
	Ribonuclease A Ribonuclease cuts and controls RNA
	Selenocysteine Synthase Selenium is used in place of sulfur to build proteins for special tasks
	Trypsin An activated serine amino acid in trypsin cleaves protein chains
	Twenty Years of Molecules Celebrating the structural biology revolution

Learning Resources (10)

Quasisymmetry in Icosahedral Viruses

(Activity Page)

Expanding Boundaries of Complexity with 3DEM

(Flyer)

200 Icosahedral Viruses

(Poster)

Photoactive Yellow Protein and XFEL/SFX

(GIF)

Discovering Biology Through Crystallography

(Coloring Book)

Biological Assemblies

(Guide)

Methods for Determining Structure

(Guide)

Resolution

(Guide)

R-value and R-free

(Guide)

Structure Factors and Electron Density

(Guide)

	Quasisymmetry in Icosahedral Viruses Activity Page Build 3D paper models of several viruses to explore how quasisymmetry builds capsids with different sizes.
	Expanding Boundaries of Complexity with 3DEM Flyer 3D electron microscopy (3DEM) is revolutionizing the field of structural biology.
	200 Icosahedral Viruses Poster
	Photoactive Yellow Protein and XFEL/SFX GIF Structures of photoactive yellow protein were determined by serial femtosecond crystallography after illumination, capturing the isomerization of the chromophore after it absorbs light. Structures included in this movie include: 5hd3 (ground state), 5hdc (100-400 femtoseconds after illumination), 5hdd (800-1200 femtoseconds), 5hds (3 picoseconds), 4b9o (100 picoseconds), 5hd5 (200 nanoseconds) and 1ts0 (1 millisecond). For more, see the Molecule of the Month on Photoactive Yellow Protein and Guide to Understanding PDB Data: Methods for Determining Atomic Structures
	Discovering Biology Through Crystallography Coloring Book Color the diverse 3D shapes studied by crystallographers. Created with support from the ACA. Available as a PDF and individual images.
	Biological Assemblies Guide
	Methods for Determining Structure Guide
	Resolution Guide
	R-value and R-free Guide
	Structure Factors and Electron Density Guide

Curriculum Resources (11)

Exploring a Protein Structure in the RSCB PDB: Insulin Introductory

Exploring a Protein Structure in the RSCB PDB: Insulin Advanced

Bioinformatics of Green Fluorescent Protein

Exploring a Protein Structure in the RCSB PDB: Green Fluorescent Protein Introductory

Exploring a Protein Structure in the RCSB PDB: Fluorescent Proteins Advanced

Exploring a Protein Structure in the RCSB PDB: Antibodies Introductory

Exploring a Protein Structure in the RCSB PDB: Antibodies Advanced

Exploring a Protein Structure in the RCSB PDB: Major Histocompatibility Complex Introductory

Exploring a Protein Structure in the RCSB PDB: Major Histocompatibility Complex Advanced

Exploring a Protein Structure in the RCSB PDB: T-Cell Receptor Introductory

Visual Comprehension: Humoral and Cell Mediated Adaptvie Immune Response

	Exploring a Protein Structure in the RSCB PDB: Insulin Introductory
	Exploring a Protein Structure in the RSCB PDB: Insulin Advanced
	Bioinformatics of Green Fluorescent Protein
	Exploring a Protein Structure in the RCSB PDB: Green Fluorescent Protein Introductory
	Exploring a Protein Structure in the RCSB PDB: Fluorescent Proteins Advanced
	Exploring a Protein Structure in the RCSB PDB: Antibodies Introductory
	Exploring a Protein Structure in the RCSB PDB: Antibodies Advanced
	Exploring a Protein Structure in the RCSB PDB: Major Histocompatibility Complex Introductory
	Exploring a Protein Structure in the RCSB PDB: Major Histocompatibility Complex Advanced
	Exploring a Protein Structure in the RCSB PDB: T-Cell Receptor Introductory
	Visual Comprehension: Humoral and Cell Mediated Adaptvie Immune Response

Structural Biology Highlights (6)

Community-Nominated Targets

Deciphering Microbial DUFs

Discovering Deaminases

Disordered Proteins

Proteinase K and Digalacturonic Acid

Targeting Enzyme Function with Structural Genomics

	Community-Nominated Targets
	Deciphering Microbial DUFs
	Discovering Deaminases
	Disordered Proteins
	Proteinase K and Digalacturonic Acid
	Targeting Enzyme Function with Structural Genomics

Geis Digital Archive (6)

	Myoglobin Geis highlights the hundreds of chemical bonds in the lattice of myoglobin.
	Myoglobin Fold Geis illustrated the structure of myoglobin, focusing on the folding pattern of the secondary structure of the protein. Unlike previous myoglobin Illustrations, this painting focuses on the tertiary structure of the molecule rather than the sequence or surface.
	Ribonuclease S Geis illustrates the structure of the ribonuclease S that highlights the dinucleotide RNA substrate in red and the four disulfide bonds in yellow.
	Trypsin Geis illustrates the structure of bovine trypsin, an enzyme that breaks down proteins, which was first revealed by X-ray crystallography in 1971 and further explored in 1974 (Krieger et al., 1974). This illustration was originally published in Scientific American (Stroud, 1984). Trypsin is a protease, an enzyme that catalyzes cleavage of polypeptide chains (Stroud, 1984). Geis' sketch depicts the structure with a ball-and-stick model and displays the sidechains of aspartic acid (Asp102), histidine (His57), and serine (Ser195), known as the catalytic triad.
	Crambin In Hendrickson and Teeter's molecular study in 1981, the crystal structure of crambin, a small seed storage protein, was determined based on the location of sulfur atoms in the protein. Using an artistic approach, Geis utilizes bright yellow shading and orange coloring to highlight the importance of these 6 sulfur atoms in this ball-and-stick representation. The backbone of the protein is depicted in blue.
	Myohemerythrin The colored print depicts the structure of myohemerythrin, which was first revealed by X-ray crystallography in 1975 (Hendrickson et al., 1975) and further refined in 1987 (Sheriff et al., 1987). Geis's illustration depicts the tertiary structure of the protein, highlighting the four anti-parallel alpha-helices and the presence of mu-oxo-diiron (iron atoms in red and oxygen atom in pink) located within the core of the macromolecule (Myohemerythrin).