In collaborative research environments, showcasing who you are and what you’re working on has become more than just a convenience — it’s a necessity. For molecular modelers using SAMSON Connect, the new public profiles offer more than just a digital business card. They allow you to present your scientific identity, control how you engage with others, and improve the discoverability of your work within the SAMSON community.
One of the most underrated yet powerful tools now available is the ability to create a customized, public user profile in SAMSON Connect. Here’s how this can address common pain points molecular modelers face — and why you might want to grab your handle before it’s gone.
Why this matters
It can be frustrating when your collaborators don’t have access to the full context of your work, or when your shared content is floating around with no clear author or point of contact.
Moreover, if you’re running jobs in the cloud (like AlphaFold simulations or GROMACS runs), it helps when people can quickly identify who generated them and where to reach out for more information.
Establishing a public profile helps solve all of this — and does so in a way that puts you in full control of how much (or how little) you want to share.
What you can customize
By going to User menu > Profile on SAMSON Connect, you can:
- Choose your public handle (first come, first served!)
- Write a bio of up to 20,000 characters — perfect if you want to include publication lists or past projects.
- Add links to your social media: LinkedIn, GitHub, ResearchGate, or even X (formerly Twitter).
- Use Markdown to style your biography — easily add images, links, lists, or even headers.
Here’s how the profile editing interface looks:
And once your profile is public, other users will be able to see the clean, formatted version:
Who sees your profile?
If you choose to make your profile public, it becomes accessible on SAMSON Connect. This means others can find your work, see the documents or jobs you’ve made available, and understand your expertise. You control what’s visible and can modify your biography at any time. Want to keep things more private? Simply leave your profile unpublished or choose to share only selected fields.
Tips for making your profile stand out
- Use Markdown to organize your content — make it readable and inviting.
- Link to relevant publications and shared documents directly.
- Update your profile regularly to reflect ongoing work or new skills.
- Keep your tone professional, but don’t be afraid to add personality where relevant.
Whether you’re applying for a new position, collaborating with international peers, or running cloud-based computation jobs in SAMSON, your public profile gives essential context to your work. It’s fast to set up, and gives you much greater flexibility in how you connect with others on the platform.
To learn more about profile creation and other collaboration tools, visit the official documentation page.
SAMSON and all SAMSON Extensions are free for non-commercial use. You can download SAMSON at https://www.samson-connect.net.