STUDY MODE

See the Mechanism, Not Just the Fact

Ask a question the way you would in a chat — about a drug, a mutation, a resistance mechanism, or a vaccine — and Surface 2 pulls up the relevant 3D structure automatically, picks the right model for the job, and highlights what matters.

Try an example below ↓
How It Works

Four tools, picked automatically based on your question

Alpha

Fastest option. Use for quick structure lookups, screening many variants at once, or any time you just need a first look.

Beta

Best for seeing how a drug binds to its target — docking, resistance mechanisms, multi-part protein assemblies.

Gamma

Best for antibody/antigen and vaccine-related questions — shows how immune molecules recognize their targets.

Delta

Handles the most complex cases — proteins bound to DNA, RNA, or small molecules together.

Not sure which to use? Ask your question normally — Surface 2 picks the right tool automatically. You can always open Model Compare to see what the others would have shown.
Try a Guided Topic

Pick a topic — opens in your Workspace with everything pre-loaded

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Drug Mechanism Explorer
"Why does ibuprofen inhibit COX-2 selectively?"
What you'll see

The 3D structure of the target protein loads automatically, with the binding pocket highlighted and key active-site residues labeled. A short explanation walks through why the drug fits — or doesn't fit — that pocket.

Gene: COX-2 (PTGS2) · Model: Alpha
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Mutation Impact Viewer
"Why does the sickle cell mutation cause polymerisation?"
What you'll see

Side-by-side structures of the normal and mutated protein, so you can directly see what changed — a shape difference, a new exposed surface, a destabilized region — and how that change leads to the disease.

Mode: WT + Variant · Models: Alpha + Beta
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Resistance Mechanism Viewer
"Why has MRSA become resistant to methicillin?"
What you'll see

A split view comparing the normal drug target to the resistant version, showing exactly how the binding site changed so the drug no longer fits. Linked notes explain what alternative treatments work and why.

Target: PBP2a · Model: Beta · WT vs Variant
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Vaccine & Antibody Viewer
"How does the COVID-19 spike protein interact with ACE2?"
What you'll see

The antibody-antigen interaction rendered in 3D with the key recognition sites (epitopes) highlighted, plus an explanation of how the shape of the interaction affects how well a vaccine works.

Target: Spike–ACE2 · Model: Gamma
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Protein Misfolding Viewer
"How does amyloid-beta aggregate in Alzheimer's?"
What you'll see

A view of the flexible, shifting shapes these proteins can take, showing how a normal protein can fold into a harmful clumped form — and where current drugs try to intervene in that process.

Target: Amyloid-beta · Models: Delta + Beta
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Ion Channel & Cardiac Structure Viewer
"Why does a mutation in KCNQ1 cause long QT syndrome?"
What you'll see

The channel structure with its pore and voltage-sensing regions labeled, and the exact mutation location highlighted so you can see how a small change disrupts how the channel works.

Target: KCNQ1 · Model: Alpha · Mutation site highlighted
Build Your Own Question

Have a different topic in mind? Type any gene, protein, drug, or disease into the Workspace and Surface 2 will fetch the relevant structure and recommend a model for you.