Chan Kwok-Fong, Poh Jun-Jie, Wu Wei-Ling, Gan Samuel Ken-En
Antibody & Product Development Lab, Bioinformatics Institute, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (ASTAR), 30 Biopolis Street, #07-01 Matrix, Singapore 138671.
Antib Ther. 2020 Sep 3;3(3):221-226. doi: 10.1093/abt/tbaa021. eCollection 2020 Jul.
The use of augmented reality (AR) in providing three-dimensional (3D) visual support and image depth have been applied in education, tourism, historical studies, and medical training. In research and development, there has been a slow but growing use of AR tools in chemical and drug discovery, but little has been implemented for whole 3D antibody structures (IgE, IgM, IgA, IgG, and IgD) and in communicating their interactions with the antigens or receptors in publications. Given that antibody interactions can vary significantly between different monoclonal antibodies, a convenient and easy to use 3D visualization can convey structural mechanisms clearer to readers, especially in how residues may interact with one another. While this was previously constrained to the use of stereo images on printed material or molecular visualization software on the computer, the revolution of smartphone and phablets now allows visualization of whole molecular structures on-the-go, allowing rotations, zooming in and out, and even animations without complex devices or the training of visual prowess. While not yet as versatile as molecular visualization software on the computer, such technology is an improvement from stereo-images and bridges the gap with molecular visualization tools. In this report, we discuss the use of AR and how they can be employed in the holistic view of antibodies and the future of the technology for better scientific communication.
增强现实（AR）在提供三维（3D）视觉支持和图像深度方面的应用已见于教育、旅游、历史研究及医学培训领域。在研发方面，AR工具在化学和药物发现中的应用虽进展缓慢但不断增加，然而在完整3D抗体结构（IgE、IgM、IgA、IgG和IgD）以及在出版物中展示其与抗原或受体的相互作用方面应用甚少。鉴于不同单克隆抗体之间的抗体相互作用可能存在显著差异，一种便捷易用的3D可视化能够更清晰地向读者传达结构机制，尤其是残基之间可能的相互作用方式。此前这仅限于在印刷材料上使用立体图像或在计算机上使用分子可视化软件，而智能手机和平板电脑的发展如今使得随时随地可视化完整分子结构成为可能，可进行旋转、缩放，甚至动画展示，无需复杂设备或视觉技能培训。尽管其功能尚不及计算机上的分子可视化软件，但该技术相较于立体图像已有改进，并缩小了与分子可视化工具的差距。在本报告中，我们将探讨AR的应用以及如何将其用于全面展示抗体，还将探讨该技术的未来发展以实现更好的科学交流。
