Visual Science, a company established in 2006 to design services for science, medicine, biology, biotechnology and more, has won first place for its 3-D model of the human immunodeficiency virus.
Visual Science, located in Moscow, put together a three-dimensional HIV model that is "by far the most accurate and detailed 3D-model of the virus ever created. The model gives people a chance to see exactly what HIV looks like. Most elements in the model can be seen on the close-ups and the model can also be viewed in 3D panaroma.
Visual Science's project on the human immunodeficiency virus model summarizes the results from more than 100 of the latest scientific publications in virology, X-ray analysis, and NMR spectroscopy. The spatial configurations of the 7 different viral and cellular proteins found in HIV particles are in strict accordance with the real virus and the known structures inside of it.
There are five snapshots of the HIV model and one video. The first photo is of the virus's outer surface and the other models detail the molecules inside of the virus. The viral membrane in the HIV model includes the 160 thousand lipid molecules of 8 different types in the proportion found in the actual HIV particle.
Nature Medicine, a publication prepared by the Global HIV Vaccine Enterprise featured a cover photograph of the HIV virion in its September 10, 2010 issue. The Enterprise published a strategic research plan to accelerate the development of vaccines against HIV. The 2010 Plan is developed by the Council of the Global HIV Vaccine Enterprise with the participation of hundreds of scientists, policy makers, funders and advocates world wide (Visual Science).
Visual Science's HIV model team was led by Ivan Konstantinov. The journal Science and the The National Science Foundation announced that Konstantinov and the Visual Science team won the 2010 International Science and Engineering Visualization Challenge and published the news in this month's Science.
Experienced designers and 3D graphics specialists worked together to achieve the final look. With software algorithms developed by Visual Science, Konstantinov's team finished in about three months.
Visual Science says its 3D model is suitable for a range of formats, from posters to animations and interactive applications for web and mobile platforms. Visual Science plans to use the model in schools to popularize science research. But the company also says its HIV model , like its visualization of the swine flue virus, is also useful in medical research.
Watch a video of the molecular structure of HIV here from NewScientist.com
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