Virtual Reality in Protein Visualization

Proteins are the building blocks of all living beings. They are composed of amino acid sequences which are folded into sheets, helixes and loops which ultimately gives them complex tertiary structure with domains and scaffolds. The quaternary structure is gained by combination of two or more subunits. The structural organization of these protein gives them spatial arrangement that allows for specific interactions with other molecules. These interaction sites are of utmost interest to biologists for their use as drug targets. The visualization of these sites has been traditionally done by pictorial representation which may or may not have some 3D detailing. Software platforms help in visualization of these interactive site. However, such images are mere projections of the actual structure where users can shuffle through various angles of protein view. The virtual reality platform allows the user to visualize actual 3D structure of protein models in an immersive environment that gives better details of the interaction sites. This in turn helps in selecting binding sites for docking ligands and designing molecules of interest. The present study summarizes the advances in protein structure visualization as well the advantages of VR platforms in this aspect.