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Head Back to School with PDB-101

09/08

PDB-101 resources promote exploration in the world of proteins and nucleic acids for teachers, students, and the general public.  A video tour highlights some of the different features available.

Recently added features include the interactive Molecular Machinery viewer and the GFP paper model.

Other PDB-101 resources include:

  • Educational Resources include posters, animations, paper models, and classroom lessons and activities.
  • Molecule of the Month articles describe the structure and function of a molecule, offer interactive views and discussion topics, and links to specialized pages to help explore specific example structures.
  • The Structural View of Biology Browser feature promotes a top-down exploration of the PDB. Readers can travel through high-level functional categories (such as Protein Synthesis and Health and Disease) and descriptive subcategories (like Replication or Immune System) to access relevant articles that describe molecules in simple terms and provide specific examples.
  • Understanding PDB Data is a reference to help explore and interpret individual PDB entries. Broad topics include how to understand PDB data, how to visualize structures, how to read coordinate files, and potential challenges to exploring the archive.
  • Video Challenge. RCSB PDB challenged high school students to tell a molecular story about HIV/AIDS, with great results.

To visit PDB-101 from the main RCSB PDB site, click on the blackboard PDB-101 logo. This view offers easy navigation: select any Molecule of the Month article from the top bar pulldown menu or choose one of the tabs to jump to other sections. Select the blue RCSB PDB logo from the top of the page at any time to return to the main website.

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