Mol*: Towards a Common Library and Tools for Web Molecular Graphics

Abstract

Advances in experimental techniques are providing access to structures of ever more complex and larger macromolecular systems. Web-browser based visualization and analysis of macromolecular structures and associated data represents a crucial step in gaining knowledge from these data. A common library and a set of tools for working with such macromolecular data sets would streamline this step. We present a project called Mol* (/'mol-star/) whose goal is to provide a common library and a set of tools for macromolecular data visualization and analysis. The project includes modules for data storage, in-memory representation, query language, UI state management, and visualization; and tools for efficient data access.