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Biomolecules

the building blocks of life

Most of the molecular machines built by cells are composed of protein and nucleic acid chains. Atomic structures have revealed how these chains are built and how they fold into functional molecular machines.

Molecule of the Month Articles (14)

Aconitase and Iron Regulatory Protein 1

Adenine Riboswitch in Action

Aspartate Transcarbamoylase

Circadian Clock Proteins

	Aconitase and Iron Regulatory Protein 1 Aconitase performs a reaction in the citric acid cycle, and moonlights as a regulatory protein
	Adenine Riboswitch in Action XFEL serial crystallography reveals what happens when adenine binds to a riboswitch
	Aspartate Transcarbamoylase Key biosynthetic enzymes are regulated by their ultimate products through allosteric motions.
	Circadian Clock Proteins Circadian clock proteins measure time in our cells
	Collagen Sturdy fibers of collagen give structure to our bodies
	Concanavalin A and Circular Permutation For some proteins, clipped and reassembled sequences can produce the same 3D shape
	Crystallins A concentrated solution of crystallins refracts light in our eye lens
	Designed Proteins and Citizen Science What if people with no formal experience in science could help to improve or even rewrite nature, simply by playing a game?
	DNA Atomic structures reveal how the iconic double helix encodes genomic information
	Fifty Years of Open Access to PDB Structures The Protein Data Bank is celebrating its golden anniversary!
	Globin Evolution The mechanisms of molecular evolution are revealed in globin sequences and structures.
	Hemoglobin Hemoglobin uses a change in shape to increase the efficiency of oxygen transport
	Insulin The hormone insulin helps control the level of glucose in the blood
	Quasisymmetry in Icosahedral Viruses Viruses use quasisymmetry to build large capsids out of many small subunits

Learning Resources (37)

Creating Paper Models of Protein Domains

	Creating Paper Models of Protein Domains Paper Model Download printable alpha helices and beta strand templates for hands-on exploration of many protein folding domains.
	DNA Paper Model Atomic structures reveal how the iconic double helix encodes genomic information
	Dengue Virus Paper Model Atomic structures of dengue virus are giving new hope for creation of a vaccine
	HIV Capsid Paper Model At the center of HIV, an unusual cone-shaped capsid protects the viral genome and delivers it into infected cells
	Insulin Paper Model Learn about insulin, a peptide hormone that plays a critical role in our ability to use glucose from the food that we eat
	tRNA Paper Model Transfer RNA translates the language of the genome into the language of proteins
	ADN: El Acido Desoxirribonucleico (Spanish) Flyer Atomic structures reveal how the iconic double helix encodes genomic information
	2022 Calendar: Revolutionizing structural biology with 3DEM Calendar This calendar features twelve molecular assemblies studied by 3DEM. They further our understanding of biology and serve as a gateway to advances in technology and medicine.
	2021 Calendar Celebrating 50 Years of Protein Data Bank Calendar 2021 Calendar
	Molecular Machinery: A Tour of the Protein Data Bank Flyer The enormous range of molecular shapes and sizes in the PDB archive is illustrated using 96 structures, depicted relative to the cellular membrane.
	2020 Calendar: 20 Years of Molecule of the Month Calendar This calendar celebrates the RCSB PDB Molecule of the Month series that has introduced millions of visitors to the shape and function of the 3D structures archived in the PDB since its launch in January 2000.
	How do Drugs Work? Flyer PDB structures are used to discuss antibiotics and antivirals, chemotherapy, drug metabolism, drugs of signaling proteins, and lifestyle drugs.
	2019 Calendar: What is a Protein? Calendar Learn about protein structure and function with this 2019 calendar and related materials.
	What is a Protein? Flyer Learn about protein structure and function with this overview.
	Virus Structures Flyer Learn about polyhedral, helical, complex, and enveloped viruses with examples drawn at approximately 900,000x magnification. Created in collaboration with EMDataBank.
	The Structures of the Citric Acid Cycle Flyer Also known as the Krebs cycle or the tricarboxylic acid cycle, the citric acid cycle is at the center of cellular metabolism. Learn about the structures involved in this metabolic pathway.
	Folding of Protein Domains Poster This poster highlights common arrangements of secondary structure elements in protein domains as defined using the CATH classification scheme.
	How Do Drugs Work? Poster PDB structures are used to discuss antibiotics and antivirals, chemotherapy, drug metabolism, drugs of signaling proteins, and lifestyle drugs.
	Molecular Machinery: A Tour of the Protein Data Bank Poster The enormous range of molecular shapes and sizes in the PDB archive is illustrated using 96 structures, depicted relative to the cellular membrane.
	The Structural Biology of HIV (Poster) Poster A painting of the HIV virus surrounded by the atomic structures from the PDB.
	Oxygen Binding in Hemoglobin GIF Hemoglobin uses a change in shape to increase the efficiency of oxygen transport.
	What is a Protein? (Video) Video Proteins play countless roles throughout the biological world, from catalyzing chemical reactions to building the structures of all living things. Despite this wide range of functions all proteins are made out of the same twenty amino acids, but combined in different ways. The way these twenty amino acids are arranged dictates the folding of the protein into its primary, secondary, tertiary, and quaternary structure. Since protein function is based on the ability to recognize and bind to specific molecules, having the correct shape is critical for proteins to do their jobs correctly. Learn more about the relationship between protein structure and function in this video.
	Celebrating 50 Years of the Protein Data Bank Archive Video In 1971, the structural biology community established the single worldwide archive for macromolecular structure data–the Protein Data Bank (PDB). From its inception, the PDB has embraced a culture of open access, leading to its widespread use by the research community. PDB data are used by hundreds of data resources and millions of users exploring fundamental biology, energy, and biomedicine. This video looks at the history and the milestones that shaped the PDB into the leading resource for research and education it is today.
	Interactive Tour of PDB's Molecular Machinery Viewer This interactive view of molecular machinery in the PDB archive lets users select a structure, access a 3D view of the entry using the NGL Viewer, read a brief summary of the molecule’s biological role, and access the corresponding PDB entry and Molecule of the Month article.
	The Structural Biology of HIV Interactive PDB-101 highlights how these PDB structures have increased our understanding of HIV in an interactive animation and a poster.
	Coloring Molecular Machinery Coloring Book This is a molecular coloring book for all artists.
	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.
	Protein Hierarchical Structure Guide Structures in the Protein Data Bank archive have revealed that folded proteins have several levels of hierarchical organization.
	Small Molecule Ligands Guide
	Exploring Carbohydrates Guide The RCSB provides many tools to explore the functional roles of carbohydrates.
	Insulin Exercise Curriculum This exercise is a part of RCSB PDB Curricular Module Biomolecular Structures and Models and was developed as part of the RCSB Collaborative Curriculum Development Program 2015.
	Lesson Plans Other Resource
	Structural Biology Playing Cards Other Resources Downloadable cards that highlight structures involved in infrastructure, energy, information, and catalysis
	Molecular Backgrounds For Virtual Meetings Other Resources Download images created by David Goodsell to add a molecular backdrop to your next virtual meeting. Click on the image to expand.
	PDB50 the Game Other Resource A PDB “worker placement” board game that explores the process of structure discovery
	Hemoglobin Bean Bag Toss Other Resource
	Exploring the Structural Biology of Evolution Article Evolution is a natural process that produces improved organisms without any need for intelligent intervention.

Curriculum Resources (13)

Endocrinology: A Molecular View

Evolution: Through the Lenses of Protein Sequence and 3D Structure

Chemical Interactions in the Stability and Function of Biological Molecules

Insulin Signaling: A Molecular View

Deoxyhemoglobin

DPG-Hemoglobin Complex

Oxyhemoglobin

Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA)

	Deoxyhemoglobin Geis illustrates deoxyhemoglobin in blue, a color associated with the absence of the oxygen molecule. Hemoglobin undergoes a conformational change in the absence of oxygen to produce this conformer. In the center is a red area showing the footprint of the space between the beta chains in the oxygenated state. The beta chains move apart in the deoxygenated state.
	DPG-Hemoglobin Complex Geis illustrates the complex of DPG (2,3-diphosphoglycerate) with hemoglobin as a co-crystal. The charged amino acid residues stabilizing the complex with DPG are drawn in blue.
	Oxyhemoglobin Geis illustrates the hemoglobin molecule in its oxygenated state.
	Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) Geis illustrates three possible forms of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). He highlights the differences between each structure by displaying them in a side-by-side manner.
	B-DNA Geis illustrates B-DNA in blue looking from above, through the double helix. The two bases on top are highlighted in white to distinguish one individual section of the layered scene.
	A-DNA Geis uses a thin ball and stick representation of a section of A-DNA, the more compact conformation of DNA less often seen in biological systems. He draws it from a perspective looking down into the double helix, showing the increase in diameter of the middle of the helix from the B form DNA.

	Endocrinology: A Molecular View
	Evolution: Through the Lenses of Protein Sequence and 3D Structure
	Chemical Interactions in the Stability and Function of Biological Molecules
	Insulin Signaling: A Molecular View
	Questions Based on the RCSB PDB Molecule of the Month
	Protein Synthesis and Sorting: A Molecular View
	Chemical Interactions in the Stability and Function of Biological Molecules
	Biomolecular Structures and Models: Read and Learn
	Molecular Machinery: A Tour of the Protein Data Bank
	Modeling tRNA's Translator Function
	Enzymes: A Molecular Perspective
	Visual Comprehension: Hemoglobin and Myoglobin
	Cell Signaling: A Molecular View

Biomolecules

Molecule of the Month Articles (14)

Learning Resources (37)

Curriculum Resources (13)

Structural Biology Highlights (6)

Geis Digital Archive (6)