Introduction to molecular visualization

Molecular visualization means looking at molecular models in order to explore and understand them. Molecular visualization does not necessarily involve molecular modeling, which means creating molecular models, or changing the composition or configurations of existing models. Here we will be dealing primarily with models of macromolecules (protein, DNA, RNA, or their complexes).

Obtaining Molecular ModelsObtaining Molecular Models

Methods for searching the Protein Data Bank for published empirical 3D models are explained here. Empirical models are those determined by experimentation, notably X-ray diffraction, solution nuclear magnetic resonance, or cryo-electron microscopy.