When generating interpolated motion paths between protein conformations, one common frustration is encountering errors due to unclean structures. For example, SAMSON’s ARAP Interpolator may halt with the message: “Cannot proceed because the structure does not make one connected component”. This…

In molecular simulations, the Potential of Mean Force (PMF) is a valuable tool to quantify free energy profiles along a reaction coordinate. Whether you’re studying ligand binding, ion transport, or conformational changes, accurately computing the PMF is crucial to extract…

One of the frequent bottlenecks in setting up molecular dynamics (MD) simulations is choosing and providing the correct input structure. A simple oversight in input file selection can lead to simulation failure or, worse, incorrect results. Fortunately, the GROMACS Wizard…

Creating molecular animations often involves guiding the viewer’s attention to a specific region of interest. However, one common challenge is zooming in without inadvertently shifting the focus point or distorting camera effects like fog or depth-of-field. If you’ve ever struggled…

When working with protein structures from the Protein Data Bank (PDB), researchers often encounter a challenge: PDB files typically contain only one asymmetric unit, not the full biological assembly. This is problematic when trying to model or simulate realistic protein…

One frequently overlooked step in molecular docking workflows is the minimization of ligands. If you’ve ever run docking experiments and noticed implausible poses or unexpectedly high binding energies, it might be due to poorly configured ligand structures. Let’s explore when…

One common challenge in molecular modeling is presenting structural features that span vertically over large systems, such as membrane-spanning proteins, nanotubes, or layered materials. When trying to communicate the depth of a system in presentations or videos, a smooth vertical…

Presenting molecular systems often involves more than just accurate modeling. Whether you’re preparing a scientific talk, recording a video tutorial, or simply exploring different stages of a simulation, visual clarity is essential. As complexity increases, showing every fragment in your…

When creating presentations or educational content about molecular structures, researchers and educators face a recurring challenge: how to progressively guide the viewer’s focus without overwhelming them visually. Showing every part of a molecule at once—especially complex biomolecules like proteins or…

When presenting molecular models, the way you move the camera can deeply impact how clearly your message gets across. In SAMSON, the Orbit camera animation can help you create smooth, circular camera movements around molecular structures. This is particularly useful…