WinCoot

WinCoot provides interactive visualization and model-building capabilities for macromolecular structures, enabling fitting of atomic models into electron density maps and analysis of structural features from X-ray crystallography and cryo-electron microscopy.

Key Features:

• Visualization: Interactive three-dimensional visualization and manipulation of macromolecular structures.
• Map-fitting tools: Tools to fit experimental data and atomic models into electron density maps for model validation.
• Structure comparison and analysis: Functions to compare conformations, identify structural variations, and analyze protein–ligand interactions in proteins and nucleic acids.
• Publication-quality graphics: Generation of high-resolution molecular graphics suitable for figures in scientific publications.

Scientific Applications:

• Structure determination: Fitting atomic models into electron density to support X-ray crystallography and cryo-electron microscopy structure solving.
• Structural analysis: Identifying conformational changes and comparing homologous proteins or nucleic acids.
• Figure preparation: Producing detailed molecular images for presentation and publication.

Methodology:

The methodology underlying WinCoot involves leveraging crystallographic object-oriented programming to facilitate the manipulation and analysis of macromolecular structures.