Cells build many complex molecular machines that perform the biological jobs needed for life. Some of these machines are molecular scissors that cut food into digestible pieces. Others then use these pieces to build new molecules when cells grow or tissues need to be repaired. Some molecular machines form sturdy beams that support cells, and others are motors that use energy to crawl along these beams. Some recognize attackers and mobilize defenses against infection.
PDB-101 hosts resources that depict this vast range of molecular shapes and sizes in the PDB.
This Molecular Machinery illustration is available for download as a poster and flyer, and can be explored in an interactive viewerIn the Molecular Machinery collection, 96 PDB structures are depicted relative to the cellular membrane and organized in categories related to function. A scale bar provides a sense of molecular size in nanometers.
An interactive viewer 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 column.