{{Short description|Software for the visualisation of macromolecules}} {{Third-party|date=January 2024}} {{Infobox software | name = RasMol | logo = | screenshot = Rasmol1.png | screenshot alt = Black background with complex ribbon diagram of a protein, colored blue on top, green on bottom. | caption = RasMol ribbon diagram rendering of TRAF2 trimer PDB:1DOA | author = Roger A. Sayle | developer = Herbert J. Bernstein | released = {{Start date and age|1992}} | latest release version = 2.7.5.1 | latest release date = {{Start date and age|2009|07|17}} | latest preview version = | latest preview date = | programming language = C | operating system = Unix, Windows | platform = IA-32, x86-64 | size = | language = English | genre = Molecular graphics | license = GPL | website = {{URL|www.rasmol.org}} }}
'''RasMol''' is a computer program written for molecular graphics visualization intended and used mainly to depict and explore biological macromolecule structures, such as those found in the Protein Data Bank (PDB).
==<span lang="MR">History</span>== It was originally developed by Roger Sayle in the early 1990s.<ref>Roger Sayle and E. James Milner-White. "RasMol: Biomolecular graphics for all", Trends in Biochemical Sciences (TIBS), September 1995, Vol. 20, No. 9, p. 374</ref>
Historically, it was an important tool for molecular biologists since the extremely optimized program allowed the software to run on (then) modestly powerful personal computers. Before RasMol, visualization software ran on graphics workstations that, due to their cost, were less accessible to scholars. RasMol continues to be important for research in structural biology, and has become important in education.
RasMol has a complex licensing version history. Starting with the version 2.7 series,<ref>Herbert J. Bernstein, "Recent changes to RasMol, recombining the variants, Trends in Biochemical Sciences (TIBS), September 2000, Vol. 25, No. 9, pp. 453-455</ref> RasMol source code is dual-licensed under a GNU General Public License (GPL), or custom license ''RASLIC''.<ref>[http://www.bernstein-plus-sons.com/software/RasMol_2.7.3/doc/RASLIC RASLIC license]</ref> Starting with version 2.7.5, a GPL is the only license valid for binary distributions.
RasMol includes a scripting language, to perform many functions such as selecting certain protein chains, changing colors, etc. Jmol and Sirius software have incorporated this language into their commands.
Protein Data Bank (PDB) files can be downloaded for visualization from members of the Worldwide Protein Data Bank (wwPDB). These have been uploaded by researchers who have characterized the structure of molecules usually by X-ray crystallography, protein NMR spectroscopy, or cryogenic electron microscopy.
==Interprocess communication== Rasmol can communicate with other programs via Tcl/Tk on Unix platforms, and via Dynamic Data Exchange (DDE) on Microsoft Windows.
With a multiple sequence alignment program, the responsible Java class can be freely used in other applications.<ref>[http://3d-alignment.eu/ Multiple alignment program]</ref>
==See also== {{Portal|Free and open-source software|Science}} * List of molecular graphics systems * Comparison of software for molecular mechanics modeling * Molecular graphics * Molecule editor * List of free and open-source software packages
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== {{Commons category|RasMol}} *{{Official website|www.rasmol.org}} *[http://www.bernstein-plus-sons.com/software/rasmol/ Download RasMol] (production releases) *[https://www.sourceforge.net/projects/openrasmol Source repository] (stable) *[https://web.archive.org/web/20070703031747/http://blondie.dowling.edu/projects/rasmol Source repository] (development) *[http://www.umass.edu/microbio/rasmol/pershist.txt Early] *[http://www.rasmol.org/history.html Later]
Category:Molecular modelling software Category:Free science software Category:Free software programmed in C Category:Free educational software Category:Software using the GNU General Public License