A Simple Way to Validate Protein Structures Using Symmetry

When modeling large biological assemblies like viral capsids or multimeric protein complexes, a frequent question is: does this structure actually make sense? Symmetry can be a powerful clue. Many biological assemblies exhibit some form of symmetry—cyclic (Cn), dihedral (Dn), or…

Reducing Docking Time with Smarter Search Domain Setup in Hex

One of the most common challenges in protein-protein docking is the trade-off between accuracy and computational time. A full rotational search in docking can be very intensive, especially when you’re screening multiple systems or tweaking parameters. Fortunately, if you already…

A Simpler Way to Run AlphaFold-2 with SAMSON

Predicting the 3D structure of proteins used to require extensive computational setups and technical expertise. For many molecular modelers, integrating AlphaFold-2 into their workflow means either accessing a command-line toolchain or relying on third-party web services — both of which…

From Click to Tube: Building Carbon Nanotubes with Your Mouse

Creating realistic models of nanostructures like carbon nanotubes (CNTs) can be time-consuming and technically complex. For molecular modelers and materials scientists, the ability to rapidly generate customizable CNTs is often crucial for prototyping device components, performing simulations, or illustrating theoretical…

Fade Away: A Simple Technique to Transition Molecular Visibility

Struggling with presenting complex molecular scenes in a clean, digestible way? If you often build animations to showcase conformational changes, protein-ligand interactions, or intricate visualizations involving multiple overlapping layers, you’ve probably asked yourself: How do I control what’s visible and…

Building Smooth Molecular Animations with Keyframes in SAMSON

Creating scientific animations of molecular systems can be time-consuming, and even experienced modelers sometimes face challenges with accurately communicating dynamic behaviors. One common pain point many encounter is smoothly moving atoms or molecular fragments across frames without introducing artifacts or…