3-D models are colored to reveal patterns and functioning of the virus

Stefan Taube, while a PhD candidate at the University of Michigan, created these models as a learning tool for his classroom, in order to show his students how viruses connect. Through x-ray crystallography, which uses x-rays to determine the precise atomic and molecular structure of crystal-forming materials (including various organic, inorganic, and biological materials), Taube determined the structure of these viruses.

Then, using CHIMERA, a program for interactive visualization and analysis of molecular structures, these viruses were printed using Rapid Prototyping to show off their complexity and inner workings. These particular models are of poliovirus (with blue indicating cell receptors) and Murine Norovirus (MNV).