Molecular Structures

Understanding the shapes of biological molecules to learn more about how they function and interact—that's structural biology. Studies in structural biology focus on questions like:

  • Why does a protein's shape matter?
  • How can misshapen molecules make us sick?
  • How can we visualize the structural details of large and complex molecules?

Follow the links below to learn more about structural biology, including recent developments, and read profiles of researchers working in this field.

Booklets

  • The Structures of Life
    Reveals how structural biology provides insight into health and disease and is useful in developing new medications.
  • Computing Structural Biology from Computing Life
    Shows how combining chemistry and computers helps scientists understand and predict how proteins fold and interact and could lead to new medicines for protein-related disorders.
More resources

Fact Sheets

  • Structural Biology
    Structural biology is a field of science focused on understanding the shapes of biological molecules. Learn about why and how scientists study these structures.
All fact sheets

Biomedical Beat Blog

More blog posts

Profiles: Meet a Scientist

  • HIV on the Brain
    Graduate student George Hightower researches genetic mutations that affect HIV's ability to infect the brain.
  • The Family Business
    Computational biologist David Baker custom designs computer software to predict the three-dimensional shapes of proteins.
  • Viral Voyages
    Structural biologist Mavis Agbandje-McKenna studies how viruses infect cells.
More profiles

​Quizzes and Puzzles

All quizzes and puzzles​