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Beautiful symmetry — 3D reconstructions of viruses

Designer/molecular biologist Eleanor Lutz is back with yet another awesome science feature: virus trading cards.

Tibi PuiubyTibi Puiu
April 12, 2016 - Updated on April 30, 2023
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Designer/molecular biologist Eleanor Lutz is back with yet another awesome science series: virus trading cards.

virus

“This week I made a set of virus trading cards! Viruses are surprisingly symmetrical, and I love them because they remind me of a biological version of snowflakes. Each trading card shows you the structure of the viral capsid – the protein shell protecting the genetic material inside a virus,” Lutz wrote in a blog post on her website.

virus

Viruses are noncellular genetic elements that use a living cell for their replication and have an extracellular state. For this reason, viruses are considered non-living. These ultramicroscopic particles are made up of nucleic acid (DNA or RNA) surrounded by protein. Some are encased in a membranelike envelope, as well.

“To make the 3D animations I used UCSF Chimera, a free molecular modeling program. When scientists discover a new protein structure they upload it to the worldwide Protein Data Bank. Each entry is assigned a unique ID number, which you can use to call up the structure in programs like Chimera or PyMol.”

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Tibi Puiu

Tibi Puiu

Tibi is a science journalist and co-founder of ZME Science. He writes mainly about emerging tech, physics, climate, and space. In his spare time, Tibi likes to make weird music on his computer and groom felines. He has a B.Sc in mechanical engineering and an M.Sc in renewable energy systems.

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