Molecules for the masses

The rendering of molecular structures is essential for an efficient analysis of both structure and function of biomolecules, drugs, etc. In biochemistry the need for a three-dimensional representation is more critical, as well as the possibility of simplified renderings for the structure of macromolecules. All this leads to so-called molecular visualisation being an essential element to be included in numerous presentations and discussions of results, to much better appreciate the fundamentals for many biological activities of both proteins and nucleic acids. To display biomolecules in a much more realistic way will help students to perceive proteins, for instance, as complex entities, flexible and adaptable but at the same time unique and specific, and not so much as a ball with a slot.