(681.3) PDB-101: Molecular Explorations through Biology and Medicine

Poster Board Number: A490

Christine Zardecki (RCSB PDB, RCSB PDB), David Goodsell (RCSB PDB, RCSB PDB), Shuchismita Dutta (RCSB PDB), Maria Voigt (RCSB PDB), Stephen Burley (RCSB PDB)

PDB-101 is an online portal for teachers, students, and the general public to promote exploration of the structural biology of proteins and nucleic acids (pdb101.rcsb.org). Learning about the diverse shapes and functions of these biological macromolecules helps to understand all aspects of biomedicine and agriculture, from protein synthesis to health and disease to biological energy.

Why PDB-101? Researchers around the world are studying these molecules at the atomic level. These 3D structures are freely available at the Protein Data Bank (PDB), the central storehouse of biomolecular structures. This website builds introductory materials to help beginners get started in the basics of biomolecular structure and function ("101", as in an entry level course) as well as resources for extended learning.

Since 2011, PDB-101 has been developed by the RCSB PDB, a global resource for the advancement of research and education in biology and medicine. Along with our Worldwide PDB collaborators, RCSB PDB curates, annotates, and makes publicly available the PDB data deposited by scientists around the globe. The RCSB PDB then provides a window to these data through a rich online resource with powerful searching, reporting, and visualization tools for researchers. This information is then streamlined for students and teachers at PDB-101.

Features include the ongoing Molecule of the Month series, educational materials such as paper models, posters, molecular animations, educational curricula and more.  The section “Guide to Understanding PDB Data” is a primer for detailed PDB-specific information: PDB Data, Visualizing Structures, Reading Coordinate Files, scientific methods for structure determination, and more. 

PDB-101 also runs annual Video Challenges for high school students. Participants create short videos that tell molecular stories that connect structural biology and medicine. Previous topics have included HIV/AIDS, diabetes, and antimicrobial resistance. The 2022 challenge will focus on Molecular Mechanisms of Cancer.

PDB-101 activities are evaluated using user surveys, feedback from in-person activities, and website analytics.  In 2020, PDB-101 hosted gt;850,000 users and gt;2.6 million page views.

RCSB PDB is funded by the NSF (DBI-1832184), the US DOE (DE-SC0019749), and NCI, NIAID, and NIGMS of the NIH (R01GM133198).



SARS-CoV-2 Fusion, 2020 by David S. Goodsell; doi: 10.2210/rcsb_pdb/goodsell-gallery-026 This painting depicts the fusion of SARS-CoV-2 (magenta) with an endosomal membrane (green), releasing the viral RNA genome into the cell cytoplasm (blue), where it is beginning to be translated by cellular ribosomes to create viral polyproteins. The painting includes speculative elements that are designed to highlight the process, most notably, multiple states of the viral spike protein are shown.