This animation zooms into a 3D model of dengue virus, moving from the virus’s outer structures to its inner core.

As shown in the animation, the outside of the dengue virus is made up of glycoproteins arranged in geometric patterns of two-, three-, and five-fold symmetry. These glycoproteins float over a lipid bilayer that covers the nucleocapsid, a protein core encasing the virus’s RNA genome.

This animation is a clip from a 2010 Holiday Lecture Series, Viral Outbreak: The Science of Emerging Disease. Depending on students’ background, it may be helpful to pause the animation at various points to discuss different parts of the viral structure.