Re: [ccp4bb]: Physical models

[John Tate <jtate@biop.ox.ac.uk>]

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> Some people in my group seem to vaguely recall a way to have a plastic or
> rubber space-filled model made from a pdb file for ornamental or display
> purposes.  Does anyone know of a company that does this type of thing?

I don't know if it's what you're thinking of, but the visualization group
at SDSC has a laminated object manufacturing facility that can construct a
model of a solvent accessible surface from layers of paper. The result of
the process process is a model that looks and feels like it's carved out
of wood. They also have a similar machine that can produce plastic models
that can be translucent or opaque, but I'm less sure of how that works.

See http://vis.sdsc.edu/ and http://www.sdsc.edu/tmf for more details and
some photos and explanation. They definitely don't run a mass production
facility, nor a novelty factory, since it's a fairly expensive machine to
run, but if you've got a "genuine scientific reason" for wanting such a
model, they might be willing to make one as a one-off.

John.

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"For every complex problem there is an answer that is clear, simple,
and wrong."
        - H. L. Mencken (1880-1956)
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John Tate                                            Phone: (01865) 275 380
Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics,                  Fax:   (01865) 275 182
Rex Richards Building,                               Email: jtate@biop.ox.ac.uk
South Parks Road,
Oxford, OX2 3QU
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