Chemistry and biochemistry instructors
must help students to develop
the ability to visualize and manipulate 3D biomolecular structures
and critically analyze them and their relationship to their functions.
To do this, representative systems must be strategically selected
to stimulate students’ motivation. Since the World Health Organization
declared a global pandemic caused by a new beta-coronavirus, called
SARS-CoV-2 in early 2020, huge efforts are being taken by researchers
to learn in depth how this virus works and a lot of scientific results
are continuously reported. Many of them focus on the structural features
of the viral spike glycoprotein and their relation with the vaccine
development. This paper presents a series of workouts that deep into
the structural characteristics of the spike protein S SARS-CoV-2 virus
and the structural features involved in its infection process, using
free online resources such as the PDB and the computer program PyMOL.
This type of activity is intended to engage structural biology students
in examining these macromolecules and others to help establish procedures
for controlling COVID-19 and other future infectious diseases. PyMOL
session files and student activities are provided.