InsightII Frequently Asked Questions


Starting InsightII

Insight works only on the SGI workstations, Loop, Turn, Coil in Beckman 050C.

Open a Unix Shell using the pull down menu on the SGI Desktop Icon. Type insightII


It is possible to get Insight running on your SGI workstation. Here is how you would set it up.


Insight does not work over a remote Xterm session. The software requires that you be sitting at a terminal with an SGI video board. If you want to do modeling via an Xterm session, you can use Sybyl or Look.


Tutorial

A copy of the InsightII training manual is in the Molecular Modeling Lab. You may borrow it to make a copy for your self. Please return one of the copies so others may do the same.

Insight does have an excellent tutorial built into the software. Click on the little icon at the bottom left of the screen that looks like a moarter-board hat.

The Insight On-Line manual is also available using your Web browser. Also, check out the MSI Web pages on InsightII

 

Modules We Have

What it Does

Insight II

Creates, modifies, manipulates, displays, and analyzes molecular systems and related data and provides the core requirements for all Insight II software modules

Apex-3D

Decipher

Is a powerful and flexible program for high-level analysis of molecular structure and the results of molecular dynamics simulations.

Felix-Assign

A unique package for computer-assisted assignment of 2D, 3D, and 4D NMR spectra of proteins and nucleic acids, which includes

tools for semiautomatic spin system detection, identification, sequential assignment, and NOE crosspeak assignment.

Felix-Model

An option of the FELIX program that provides direct interaction between experimental NOESY data, molecular structures, and back-calculated NOESY data within an integrated interface.

Felix-ND

FELIX is the industry standard for off-line data processing, spectral visualization and analysis software for all types of high resolution, one-dimensional to four-dimensional, homonuclear and heteronuclear NMR data.

FELIX is built upon the foundations of a relational database, an extensive macro language, and an easy-to-use, multi-windowed, menu-driven interface allowing quick and easy performance of routine tasks.

Felix-X-Remote

Homology

Builds a 3D model of a protein from its amino acid sequence and the known structure of related proteins. Standard techniques of backbone building, loop modeling, structural overlay and statistical analysis of the resulting models are available

Ludi

is a powerful tool for de novo rational drug design. Ludi can be used to fit molecules into the active site of a receptor by identifying and matching complementary polar and hydrophobic groups.

NMR Refine Advanced

Expands the refinement capabilities found in NMR Refine/DG-II to include simulated annealing and restrained molecular mechanics and dynamics (MD Schedule), refinement of NOE intensities using hybrid-matrix approaches (IRMA), direct refinement of NOE volumes (NOE-MD), an interface to back-calculating 2D NOESY crosspeak intensities (NOE Simulate), and a spreadsheet method of analyzing NMR-related structural and dynamical molecular parameters (Query).

NMR Refine DGII

Provides an entry-level option into NMR refinement software with capabilities for generating structures from NMR-derived distance and dihedral restraints. The DG-II, Restraint Analysis, NMR Database and ProStat pulldowns combine to give the NMR spectroscopist the necessary tools for generating, analyzing and verifying high resolution structures.

Open Interface

Profiles-3D

A patented technology exclusively licensed to MSI, uses "environmental classification" of protein residues to assess whether a primary sequence is compatible with the current 3D structural model. Profiles-3D is used to search a structural-motif database with a new sequence, looking for compatibility; search a sequence database with an example stucture, seeking similarity; or verify the agreement between the sequence and current model of a protein sequence/structure under study.

Search/Compare

Generates and compares the conformations of different molecules. You can operate on molecular fields and volumes, superimpose two or more molecules, and search systematically for sterically allowed conformations

Sketcher

Is used to draw molecules in 2D and automatically convert them to 3D models.

Biopolymer

Constructs models of peptides, proteins, carbohydrates, and nucleic acids for visualizing complex macromolecular structures and for use in further simulation work.

Consensus

Builds a 3D model of a protein from its amino acid sequence and the known structures of related proteins using distance constraints derived from the reference protein structures.

Discover

Is a simulation program available within Insight II. It incorporates a range of well validated forcefields for dynamics simulations, minimization, and conformational searches, allowing you to predict the structure, energetics and properties of organic, inorganic, organometallic, and biological systems. Discover also implements IPC (Inter Process Communications), which allows users to instruct Discover to turn processing control over to external programs, and retrieve the results of those external processes, incorporating them into the continuing Discover computations

DelPhi

calculates electrostatic potentials and solvation energies of both large and small molecules, including nucleic acids. You can use DelPhi to rigorously examine the effects of charge distribution, ionic strength, and dielectric constant on the electrostatic potentials of macromolecules.

QuanteMM

Combines quantum mechanical and force field methods, allowing you to use accurate first-principles methods to study cluster models while taking the surrounding environment fully into account. Large and complex systems can be studied with high accuracy.

Converter

Builds 3D models from 2D structural database output

Homology

Builds a 3D model of a protein from its amino acid sequence and the known structure of related proteins. Standard techniques of backbone building, loop modeling, structural overlay and statistical analysis of the resulting models are available

MODELER

MODELER uses a new comparative modeling methodology to rapidly build structural models for protein sequences without a known structure.

MODELER's unique methodology builds a structure by simultaneously satisfying spatial restraints and local molecular geometry. Structural models for a sequence can be constructed from structures of one or more homologous proteins in the same family. With about one third of known sequences related by homology to one or more known structures, homology modeling can provide useful models , which guide biochemical experiments far beyond the range of experimentally determined structures. In addition, these models can speed the process of experimental structure determination by molecular replacement phasing in X-ray crystallography and NOE assignment in NMR structure determination. And as more and more structures are experimentally determined, homology models can be constructed for an increasing variety of sequences.

CHARMm

CHARMm (Chemistry at HARvard Macromolecular Mechanics) is a highly regarded and widely used simulation package. CHARMm combines standard minimization and dynamics capabilities with expert features including normal mode calculations, correlation analysis, and combined quantum and molecular mechanics (QM/MM) methods. Simulations provide information concerning molecular-level structure, interactions, and energetics. This program allows you to perform classical empirical energy calculations on a variety of small and large molecular systems, including proteins, nucleic acids, and carbohydrates. Using the latest algorithms and methodology, you can explore in detail the dynamics and thermodynamics of your system of interest, providing insight into your current experiments and suggesting new directions for future efforts.

Binding Site Analysis

Binding Site Analysis combines several tools that enable you to identify and characterize a protein's binding site and then use those characteristics to look for similar features in other proteins of known structure.

SeqFold

SeqFold provides a new algorithm developed in the laboratory of Professor David Eisenberg(1-3), which aids in the functional identification of proteins. Using an approach based on fold recognition, SeqFold helps you to identify homologous proteins when traditional sequence searching methods fail.

Modules We Don't Have

What it Does

Catalyst

Modeling, hypothesis generation and structure search for drug discovery

Cerius2

Simulation environment for life and materials science

Ceriius2 SDK

Tools for scientific software development

Quanta

Specialist modeling tools for macromolecules and small organics

WebLab

Computational science on the WWW

Solids Builder and other Solids modeling

constructs models of inorganic and organic crystals, metals, layers, and interfaces, which are used to develop and validate models of solids and surfaces

Synthia

estimates polymer properties using statistically-derived correlations. You can predict properties quickly from existing data for a broader range of polymers than conventional QSPR methods.

ESOCS

calculates the electronic and magnetic properties of solids. You can efficiently compute quanities such as the electronic structure of defects, optical absorption and reflection spectra, and magnetic properties of materials. ESOCS has wide application to metals and alloys, the pigment industry, and for optimizating and designing magnetic materials such as in the disc drive industry

Interfaces

calculates the conformational properties of polymers in the vicinity of an interface

MADSYS

is a program that provides phasing of multi-wavelength anomalous dispersion (MAD) data collected at synchrotron radiation X-ray sources.

Miscibility

is a navigational aid for predicting liquid-liquid phase diagrams of polymer solutions or blends. It increases your productivity by unifying MSI's tools for phase diagram prediction and leading you through appropriate simulation strategies

Phase Diagram

calculates liquid-liquid phase diagrams for polymer solutions and blends, helping you to optimize the properties of formulations.

Plane Wave

is a quantum mechanics module for the materials sciences. You can simulate solids, interfaces, and surfaces for a wide range of materials classes including ceramics and semiconductors, determining properties such as geometric structure, energies, band-structures, and charge density.

Polymizer

builds 3D models of linear and branched homopolymers and copolymers, enabling you to visualize and simulate polymer structure and behavior.

PRISM

predicts polymer blend miscibility and related properties based on the chemical composition of the chains in the blend. PRISM helps you relate chemistry to properties for improved formulation design.

QSPR

estimates the properties of a wide range of thermoplastic materials using group additivity methods. QSPR provides you with rapid predictions and maximizes your use of existing experimental data.

RIS

rapidly calculates the conformational properties of polymer chains, which helps you relate these to their chemical structure.

Fast Structure

allows you to determine equilibrium geometries of crystals, interfaces, surfaces and molecules. It calculates structures using fast first-principles density functional methods in conjunction with molecular dynamics, simulated annealing and minimization techniques. FastStructure is used in the electronics, chemicals, petrochemicals, and glass industries.

CFF

an advanced Class II force field, is used to optimize DNA, RNA, carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, peptides, and small-molecule models, giving a high confidence level for calculations in drug discovery, protein design, genomic theraputics, NMR spectroscopy, and X-ray crystallography

Amorphous Cell

constructs and analyzes models of bulk amorphous systems such as polymers and glasses. You can investigate properties such as cohesive energy, chain dimensions, chain packing, and local dynamical behavior

Characterize

simulates, displays, and interprets a wide variety of analytical data. It is used to process HRTEM, NMR, diffraction, IR Raman, EXAFS, and Morphology data.

ZINDO

s a semi-empirical molecular-orbital program for studying the spectroscopic properties of molecules and complexes. ZINDO can be applied to a wide range of compounds, including organic and inorganic molecules, polymers, and organometallic complexes.


Connelly surfaces

Connelly surfaces and enhanced structure displays are available in Insight through the Molecule/connelly pull down menu.


Loading PDB files

You may get PDB files from the Brookhaven Protein Data Bank, or from the /PDB directory on your machine. The /PDB files are compressed, so InsightII requires that you uncompress them first.