PDB-101 is RCSB PDB’s online portal for teachers, students, and the general public that promotes exploration in the world of proteins and nucleic acids. 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.
This website ("101", as in an entry level course) presents introductory materials that introduce beginners to the structures of proteins and nucleic acids contained in the PDB archive. Resources for extended learning are also provided.
PDB-101 offers curricular materials, templates to create 3D paper models, Molecule of the Month articles, and other materials developed by RCSB PDB.
Users can search the website for related materials using molecule name or keyword. The Browse option can be used to explore available PDB-101 resources organized by topics such as the immune system and renewable energy.
PDB101.rcsb.org is updated with news and features regularly.
August's feature on quasisymmetry marked the 200th installment of Molecule of the Month.
Since January 2000, this series has explored the structure and function of biomacromolecules from AAA+ Proteases to Zika Virus. Each installment includes an introduction to the structure and function of the molecule, a discussion of the relevance of the molecule to human health and welfare, and an interactive 3D view.
New features are published each month at RCSB PDB and PDB-101, with an archive of articles translated into Japanese available at PDBj. The full archive of articles provides a powerful tool for exploring biology.
Written and illustrated by David S. Goodsell, the Molecule of the Month has provided an easy introduction to the RCSB PDB for teachers and students around the world. Materials from the series have been used by many textbooks, magazine and journal articles, and other publications. His image of Ebola Virus Proteins was selected as the overall winner of the 2016
Several resources have been published at PDB-101 to help celebrate this milestone:
The RCSB PDB Poster Prize is awarded for the best student poster presentations at selected meetings. Recipients receive an educational book.
Many thanks to the Poster Chair Illa Guzei (University of Wisconsin-Madison) and judges Marie Fraser (University of Calgary), Alexander Kintzer (University of California San Francisco) Janet Newman (CSIRO), and Jessica Vey (California State University Northridge).
Many thanks to Co-Chairs Iddo Friedberg (Iowa State University) and Casey Greene (University of Pennsylvania), the entire Posters Committee, and Steven Leard (ISMB).
Many thanks to the Poster Chair Bernhard Spingler (University of Zurich) and judges Eleanor Dodson (University of York) and Gerlind Sulzenbacher (AFMB/CNRS and Aiz Marseille University).