# Biocrystallography as a means of communication with the general public on the coronavirus and the RNA world

L Coudray, A Gaudry, C Sauter

► To cite this version:

L Coudray, A Gaudry, C Sauter. Biocrystallography as a means of communication with the general public on the coronavirus and the RNA world. XXVI IUCr Congress, Melbourne, Australia, August 2023, Aug 2023, Melbourne (AUS), Australia. Acta Crystallographica section A, 79, pp.C1283, 2023, 10.1107/S2053273323083389. [https://doi.org/10.1107/S2053273323083389](https://doi.org/10.1107/S2053273323083389). [CC-BY 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

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https://hal.science/hal-04792097v1

Submitted on 21 Nov 2024

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# Biocrystallography as a means of communication with the general public on the coronavirus and the RNA world

Léna Coudray, Agnès Gaudry, Claude Sauter

Architecture et Réactivité de l'ARN – IBMC – CNRS – Université de Strasbourg

RNA, did you say RNA? Until two years ago and the occurrence of the coronavirus pandemic, few people had heard of RNA, whereas the DNA double helix image is well anchored in the collective unconscious. But in 2021 the situation has changed since everyone has heard about RNA viruses and RNA vaccines. This is why our laboratory, the well-named ARN for architecture and reactivity of RNA, decided to surf on the news and communicate on the world of RNA during the national science festival (Fête de la Science, October 2021, 2022). Various communication tools derived from biocrystallographic studies – posters, 3D models, movies, crystallization experiments – were deployed to answer questions of the greatest number of people.

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## fête de la Science
2021

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## Setting the background

<figure><img src="image_4.png" /></figure>

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## Playing with RNA basepairs

<figure><img src="image_8.png" /></figure>

Building RNA
Watson-Crick
basepairs thanks to
magnetic H-bonds
of the RNA basepair
puzzle [1]

<figure><img src="image_9.png" /></figure>

## Exploring biomolecules

3D screen and a series of
PyMOL scripts [3]:

- to explore the architecture
of proteins and nucleic acids,

- to recognize and build side
chains in an electron density
map at atomic resolution

<figure><img src="image_10.png" /></figure>

## Inside the coronavirus

3D printed model of SARS-CoV2 [2]
and presentation of the virus and its
RNA genome in virtual reality

<figure><img src="image_11.png" /></figure>

<figure><img src="image_12.png" /></figure>

Wow
Amazing!!!!

## Growing protein crystals

<figure><img src="image_13.png" /></figure>

Recipe for rapid
crystallisation of hen
egg white lysozyme:

Low cost, fast, easy,
and beautiful!

<figure><img src="image_14.png" /></figure>

## Useful links

[1] https://pymolwiki.org/index.php/Scene

[2] https://jkondo.wixsite.com/basepairpuzzle

[3] https://insidecorona.net/3d-print-corona/

## In brief

- Structural biology is easy to share!

- Very motivating for young researchers

- Considerable interest from the public