MolDraw Docs

Protein Viewer plugin

Short answer: Open the Protein tab, type a PDB ID such as 1HHO and press Go. It is installed by default and works without signing in.

Last updated · By the MolDraw team at LabCanvas

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MolDraw Protein Viewer showing haemoglobin 1HHO as green and blue cartoon chains with the amino-acid sequence strip below
Haemoglobin (PDB 1HHO) as a cartoon. Each chain has its own color. The sequence of chain A is below.
  1. Protein tab.
  2. PDB ID box: type an ID and press Go (or use Open for a file).
  3. Display menu: cartoon, sticks, lines, spheres and colouring.
  4. Surface: molecular surface with opacity and colour.
  5. Sequence strip: click residues to select and style them.

What it does#

Open the Protein tab next to Structure. Type a PDB ID like 1HHO, or load a file.

  • Display sets the style: cartoon, stick or surface.
  • Color by chain, secondary structure or element.
  • Click the sequence strip to select residues.
  • Export a PNG of the view.

Who it is for#

Biochemistry students. Teachers who need protein figures. Researchers who want a quick look at a structure.

How to use it#

  1. Open the editor (no sign-in needed) and click the Protein tab (callout 1).
  2. Type a PDB ID, e.g. 1HHO, and press Go (callout 2), or press Open to load a local file.
  3. Use Display (callout 3) to switch cartoon/sticks and colour by chain.
  4. Add a Surface (callout 4) and lower its opacity to see the backbone.
  5. Click residues in the sequence strip (callout 5) to highlight them.
  6. Press Export to download an image.

Tips#

Questions and answers

Do I need an account to view proteins?

No. The Protein Viewer is installed by default and works without signing in.

Which file formats can I open?

PDB IDs are fetched directly; local PDB and mmCIF files can be opened from your computer.

Can I show a ligand as sticks?

Yes. Select the residue or ligand in the sequence strip and change its style.