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Infectious Learning
15 August 2015

Infectious Learning

All viruses are tiny, microscopic organisms. That includes the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), which is just 0.1 micron [a ten millionth of a metre] in diameter. The diagram shows the HIV particle, magnifying some key proteins encoded in its genome. These can be separated into three groups with unique functions; structural proteins (blue) to attach and detach from cells, viral enzymes (pink) crucial for making more viruses, and accessory proteins (green) which help infect and take over cellular processes. The image was produced by the Research Collaboratory for Structural Bioinformatics (RCSB) as part of their Molecule of Month series. This is one example of how the RCSB is using their Protein Data Bank curricula as an “educational portal [to] allow non-expert users to explore biology through a structural lens” and to engage children in learning more complex health-related topics such as HIV and, beginning in 2016, type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Written by Matt Atherton

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BPoD stands for Biomedical Picture of the Day. Managed by the MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences until Jul 2023, it is now run independently by a dedicated team of scientists and writers. The website aims to engage everyone, young and old, in the wonders of biology, and its influence on medicine. The ever-growing archive of more than 4000 research images documents over a decade of progress. Explore the collection and see what you discover. Images are kindly provided for inclusion on this website through the generosity of scientists across the globe.

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