Augmented reality in scientific visualization and communications: a new dawn of looking at antibody interactions

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.