Educational Resources
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Posters
The Structures of the Citric Acid Cycle
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.
Download: Flyer (8 1/2 x 11", PDF)
What is a Protein?
Learn about protein structure and function with this overview.
Download: Flyer (8 1/2 x 11", PDF)
Virus Structures
Learn about polyhedral, helical, complex, and enveloped viruses with examples drawn at approximately
900,000x magnification. Created in collaboration with EMDataBank.
See the Activities tab for virus-related exercises.
Download: Flyer (8 1/2 x 11", PDF)
The Structural Biology of HIV
A painting of the HIV virus surrounded by the atomic structures from the PDB.
Download: Poster (18 x 24", High Resolution PDF | Low Resolution PDF), Flash Animation (Link)
How Do Drugs Work?
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
80 PDB entries are illustrated at a scale of three million to one.
The Ribosome
This flyer commemorates the 2009 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for studies of the structure and function of the ribosome.
Download: Flyer (8 1/2 x 11", PDF)
Toll-like Receptors
In honor of the 2011 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.
Download: Flyer (8 1/2 x 11", PDF)
G-Protein Coupled Receptors
In honor of the 2012 Nobel Prize in Chemistry.
Download: Flyer (8 1/2 x 11", PDF)
Exhibit Materials
Art of Science
This traveling art exhibit includes pictures available from the RCSB PDB website and Molecule of the Month features. Email info@rcsb.org for more information.
PDB Structures on Exhibit at the Birch Aquarium
An interactive kiosk at the The Sea of Genes exhibit at the Birch Aquarium (La Jolla, CA) displayed information about specific proteins found in marine organisms – and in the PDB.
Molecule of the Month Animations
Click to view the full-sized animation; right click to download.
Small subunit of ribosome
( see Molecule of the Month)
Large subunit of ribosome
( see Molecule of the Month)
Oxygen binding
in hemoglobin
( see Molecule of the Month)
Artificial lattice of a
designed DNA crystal
( see Molecule of the Month)
The Structural Biology of HIV
Explore the proteins in the HIV virus with this interactive Flash animation.
Molecular Animation Q&A
An interview with the Molecular Animators Gaël McGill, Ph.D. and Graham Johnson. Learn how they import PDB structures to create stunning molecular graphics.
Molecules in Motion Kiosk Viewer
The Molecules in Motion Kiosk Viewer is a full-screen animation program that displays structures from different angles and perspectives, and focuses on chemical components within the structure (PDF flyer).
The Kiosk program runs on Mac, Windows and some versions of Linux (i.e. CentOS 5) only, and requires the latest version of Java. The program automatically downloads coordinate files into a folder, which lets users run Kiosk on an offline computer. To customize the list of structures displayed in Kiosk, right click on the Kiosk Viewer link and save the file with a new name (with the .jnlp extension), for example myFavorites.jnlp. Edit the PDB IDs listed in the file and save it. Double click to launch Kiosk Viewer; press the Esc key to exit Kiosk Viewer.
Launch Kiosk by providing a comma separated list of PDB ids: (Java required)
Exploring the Structure of tRNA
Download this PDF to build a paper model of the primary, secondary, and beginnings of the tertiary structure of tRNA. Visit the activity page to learn more.
Virus Structure Lecture, Lesson Plans, and Activities
A lecture (PPT) and lesson plans describing Virus Shape and Structure (PDF) and the Life Cycle of the Dengue Virus (PDF) are available for middle and high school classrooms. These resources include templates to make 3D paper models of disease-causing viruses and review questions.
Handheld 3D Virus Model
To create a 3D model of the dengue virus, print out this PDF, cut out the protein structure, and fold on the solid lines. Tape or glue the flaps into place to form an icosahedron. The RNA genome can be modeled using a piece of string approximately 5.4 meters long and placed inside of the structure. For more on the dengue virus, see the related Molecule of the Month feature. See the Posters tab to view a Virus Structures illustration.
Exploring Biomolecular Structure
An article about why atomic structure of molecules are useful along with an overview for using the RCSB PDB from the Scitable resource for undergraduate students and educators. For a more detailed guide to PDB data, see Understanding PDB Data.
Green Fluorescent Protein Tutorial
Bioinformatics of Green Fluorescent Protein (PDF) is a tutorial guide to exploring the relationship between gene sequence, protein structure, and biological function in the context of the green fluorescent protein. With this tutorial you will find protein structures using search tools on the RCSB PDB website; use molecular visualization tools to explore the GFP structure and function; and find the GFP gene and view important mutations (Updated May 2010). For more on GFP, see the related Molecule of the Month feature.
3D Paper Model of DNA
Download this PDF
to build one complete turn of a DNA double helix, with the major and minor grooves labeled.
Choose from a schematic model with space to fill in the names of the bases and a detailed model
that shows all the atoms in each nucleotide. For more on DNA, see the
related Molecule of the Month
feature.
These features have been translated into Spanish: DNA paper model
(PDF)
| DNA Molecule of the Month
(PDF)
Education Corner
Other activities and lessons are described in past editions of the RCSB PDB's Education Corner.
The RCSB PDB enthusiastically participates in activities with local communities, and scientific professional societies, including:
RCSB PDB Poster Prize
The RCSB PDB awards a poster prize for the best student poster presentation at a number of different meetings throughout the year.
Rutgers Day
A full day of free performances, lectures, exhibits, games, children's activities, hands-on learning and athletic competitions as the state university throws wide its doors to New Jersey residents
San Diego Science Festival
Each year in March, the San Diego Science Festival cascades over San Diego County in a weeklong celebration of science and engineering that invigorates over 75,000 students, parents, scientists, educators and other community members.
New Jersey Science Olympiad
The Protein Modeling Event at the NJ Regional and State Science Olympiads is sponsored by the RCSB PDB.
The website offers a variety of materials to help teams build 3D models of proteins.