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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-NZ link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal>Hi<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>My apologies for what are likely to be stupid questions. We are plant developmental biologists and we just obtained our first X-ray crystal structure for a new hormone receptor in plants. We’d really like to make a 3D model of the protein using one of the 3D printers at our institute.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>I’ve been trying to use and understand Chimera for the last week and I’m a bit out of my depth :). I can import our protein 4DNP.pdb and display it using solid surface or using the sphere representations of atoms. I can also display it with the “lid” domain hidden and vice versa.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>My problem has been getting files that our 3D printer can read. The solid surface model of the whole protein can be exported as a scene in .stl format and that can be printed just fine. Although I can’t figure out how to adjust resolution or the smoothness of the exported file. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>But I’d really like to print the two domains of the protein separately. If I use Solid surface model with the lid hidden what I get is an eggshell like model which has no internal detail. If I use atoms shown as spheres instead I get the internal detail I want BUT when I try and export the scene I get a 2 Gb+ file that is unreadable by the printer. If I export .obj format instead the colleague who runs the printer says the file won’t load and appears to have errors.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>I have a horrible feeling I am going about this entirely the wrong way but I can’t find a tutorial that describes what I’m trying to achieve. I do realise chimera is not really written for the somewhat trivial use that I am attempting but it really would be helpful if we had a physical model of the protein to look at.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Is there a tutorial I should follow or another part of Chimera (or another program) that I should be using instead? Any advice would be much appreciated.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Cheers<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Bart<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Bart Janssen<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Scientist<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Plant Development team<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Breeding and genomics<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Plant and Food Research<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Private Bag 92169<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Auckland 1142<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>New Zealand<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Ph +64 09 9257179<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>bart.janssen@plantandfood.co.nz<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>
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