How is protein structure prediction done in bioinformatics?

How is protein structure prediction done in bioinformatics?

Protein structure prediction in bioinformatics is typically done using computational methods. These methods utilize various algorithms and techniques to predict the three-dimensional structure of a protein based on its amino acid sequence. The process involves several steps, including sequence alignment, homology modeling, ab initio modeling, and refinement. Sequence alignment is used to identify proteins with known structures that are similar to the target protein, which can serve as templates for modeling. Homology modeling involves building a model of the target protein based on the structure of the template protein. Ab initio modeling, on the other hand, predicts the protein structure from scratch using physical principles and statistical potentials. Finally, refinement techniques are applied to improve the accuracy and quality of the predicted protein structure. Overall, protein structure prediction in bioinformatics combines computational algorithms and experimental data to generate models that can provide insights into protein function and interactions.