Corona VRus Coaster

Corona VRus Coaster enables immersive exploration of SARS-CoV-2 protein structures in virtual reality to facilitate molecular visualization for structural biology research and education.

Key Features:

• Immersive protein exploration: Users can "ride" along the molecular backbones of over 2000 viral proteins, including the spike protein, nucleocapsid protein, main protease, and RNA-dependent RNA polymerase.
• Hand-tracking manipulation: Direct manipulation of molecular structures via Meta Interaction SDK hand-tracking technology.
• Multiple visualization modes: Ribbon, surface, and space-filling molecular representations rendered using GPU-accelerated shaders.
• Multiple navigation modes: VR motion controllers and gaze-based selection mechanisms for molecular navigation.
• Modular architecture: Seamless integration of newly resolved protein structures for future molecular visualization applications.

Scientific Applications:

• Structural biology research: Exploration of SARS-CoV-2 protein three-dimensional organization to elucidate infection mechanisms and advance therapeutic strategies.
• Structural biology education: Making molecular structures more accessible and interactive for students.

Methodology:

Corona VRus Coaster was developed using Unity3D and integrates the Molecular Rift toolkit for VR rendering. Protein structures were sourced from the Protein Data Bank (PDB) and converted into VR-compatible formats using Open Babel and PyMOL. Hand-tracking technology is implemented via the Meta Interaction SDK. Visualization modes incorporate ribbon, surface, and space-filling models rendered with GPU-accelerated shaders. Navigation uses VR motion controllers and gaze-based selection mechanisms.