3D Printing Molecular Models

Started by jeff101

jeff101 Lv 1

It looks like you can go to the site
http://3dprint.nih.gov/
set up an account there, and then download
the files you need to make a 3D printout.

I don't know if it will let you upload your own custom pdb files,
but it sounds like you can download ones from certain databases.

James Tyrwhitt-Drake Lv 1

Hi Jeff, this is James from the NIH 3D Print Exchange team. I'm glad you found our site! If you'd like to upload a custom PDB, use the 'Create' tool on our site, then choose the 'molecular data' path and upload your PDB file. Our tools will generate ribbon, thick ribbon, and surface models that you can download. You can also use the 'Quicksubmit' feature on the Create page to generate models directly from a PDB or EMDB identifier.

donuts554 Lv 1

I do not see any use to printing out the models. I think the models can be used online instead of as a printout. Online they could be easily modified and the computers can do the calculations to see how the molecules online would realistically interact with each other.

But if you really had wanted to print them out, It might be better if the models had some sort of magnets attached on them though if you were to print them out, so we know how the models would interact with each other, if you meant 3D-Printing models.

Otherwise I think the models would just be good for keeping records.

Another problem with online models is the accessibility. I couldn't even find the search box to search up a protein on the blast website.

Maybe using a more accessible website like " molview.org " for printing out proteins. This page has a list of proteins and has an information card outlining each molecules' smiles notation. All of the molecules that can be produced are from the PubChem website from the National Center for Biotechnology Information from the National Library of Medicine from the National Institute of Health from the U.S. Government, which of course is a trusted and verified source.

I also think you should use this website because the external link to the respective site on that particular molecule leads to its PubChem page, which details more things about the molecule, including its weight, its uses, etc.