Interesting Structures: Education and Outreach at the RCSB Protein Data Bank

The Research Collaboratory for Structural Bioinformatics Protein Data Bank is part of an international consortium that works not only to make the data describing the 3-D shape of biological macromolecules available worldwide, but also to increase their usefulness in science, medicine, and education

RCSB PDB Mobile: iOS and Android mobile apps to provide data access and visualization to the RCSB Protein Data Bank.

SummaryThe Research Collaboratory for Structural Bioinformatics Protein Data Bank (RCSB PDB) resource provides tools for query, analysis and visualization of the 3D structures in the PDB archive. As the mobile Web is starting to surpass desktop and laptop usage, scientists and educators are beginning to integrate mobile devices into their research and teaching. In response, we have developed the RCSB PDB Mobile app for the iOS and Android mobile platforms to enable fast and convenient access to RCSB PDB data and services. Using the app, users from the general public to expert researchers can quickly search and visualize biomolecules, and add personal annotations via the RCSB PDB's integrated MyPDB service.Availability and implementationRCSB PDB Mobile is freely available from the Apple App Store and Google Play (http://www.rcsb.org)

Promoting a structural view of biology for varied audiences: an overview of RCSB PDB resources and experiences

The Research Collaboratory for Structural Bioinformatics Protein Data Bank (RCSB PDB) serves a community of users with diverse backgrounds and interests. In addition to processing, archiving and distributing structural data, it also develops educational resources and materials to enable people to utilize PDB data and to further a structural view of biology

The RCSB Protein Data Bank: views of structural biology for basic and applied research and education.

The RCSB Protein Data Bank (RCSB PDB, http://www.rcsb.org) provides access to 3D structures of biological macromolecules and is one of the leading resources in biology and biomedicine worldwide. Our efforts over the past 2 years focused on enabling a deeper understanding of structural biology and providing new structural views of biology that support both basic and applied research and education. Herein, we describe recently introduced data annotations including integration with external biological resources, such as gene and drug databases, new visualization tools and improved support for the mobile web. We also describe access to data files, web services and open access software components to enable software developers to more effectively mine the PDB archive and related annotations. Our efforts are aimed at expanding the role of 3D structure in understanding biology and medicine

Examples of Education and Outreach

<p>Starting clockwise, from the upper left: A portion of an interactive kiosk highlighting proteins found in sea creatures that was part of an exhibit at the Birch Aquarium (La Jolla, California); the RCSB PDB's Shuchismita Dutta uses a computer-generated model to talk about protein structure with high school students at the New Jersey Science Olympiad; adrenergic receptors are the subject of the 100th <i>Molecule of the Month</i> installment; the RCSB PDB has developed a number of ways to explore structure, including this viewer for virtual reality environments.</p

Integrative illustration for coronavirus outreach

Two illustrations integrate current knowledge about severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) coronaviruses and their life cycle. They have been widely used in education and outreach through free distribution as part of a coronavirus-related resource at Protein Data Bank (PDB)-101, the education portal of the RCSB PDB. Scientific sources for creation of the illustrations and examples of dissemination and response are presented