What is structural biology?

Structural biology is a branch of molecular biology, biochemistry, and biophysics concerned with the molecular structure of biological macromolecules, particularly proteins and nucleic acids, how they acquire the structures they have, and how alterations in their structures affect their function. It is used to determine the three-dimensional structures of these molecules at atomic resolution, often using methods like X-ray crystallography, NMR spectroscopy, and cryo-electron microscopy. This information is critical for understanding the molecular mechanisms of biological processes and for drug design.