> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.openbio.tech/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Projects

> Organize your research with projects in OpenBio

Use projects to organize your research work in OpenBio. Each project creates a dedicated workspace for your chats, files, workflows, and predictions—keeping everything neatly separated and easy to manage.

<Info>
  **What is a Project?**
  A project is a self-contained workspace that includes all your research components: chat conversations, uploaded files, saved workflows, prediction jobs, and research notes.
</Info>

## Creating Your First Project

When you first sign in to OpenBio, you'll be prompted to create your initial project.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Create a New Project">
    In the project selector dropdown in the sidebar, click the **"New Project"** button
  </Step>

  <Step title="Fill in Project Details">
    * **Name**: Give your project a descriptive title
    * **Description**: Optionally add details about the project's purpose
    * **Color**: Choose a color for visual identification
  </Step>

  <Step title="Save and Start">
    Click **"Create Project"** and you'll be automatically switched to your new workspace
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Tip>
  Choose descriptive names like "Protein Structure Analysis" or "Cancer Research 2025" rather than generic names like "Project 1". This makes it easier to find and organize your work later.
</Tip>

## Project Organization Strategies

### By Research Topic

```
├── Kinase Analysis
├── Antibody Design
├── Drug Discovery
└── Literature Reviews
```

### By Collaboration

```
├── Smith Lab Partnership
├── Industry Project XYZ
├── Personal Research
└── Teaching Materials
```

### By Time Period

```
├── 2024 Q1 - Cancer Research
├── 2024 Q2 - Cancer Research
├── 2024 Q3 - Drug Discovery
└── 2024 Q4 - Protein Engineering
```

## Managing Projects

### Switching Between Projects

<Info>
  **Location**: Project dropdown in the sidebar (below the OpenBio logo)
</Info>

1. Click the project selector showing your current project name
2. Browse through your projects with previews of activity
3. Click on any project to switch to it

## Creating Folders and Files

Organize your project content with folders and files directly within OpenBio.

### Creating Folders

1. Click the **"+"** button in the top right corner of the sidebar
2. Name your folder
3. Press Enter to create

Folders help organize related files, notes, and data by experiment, topic, or workflow stage.

### Creating Files

1. Click the **New File** button in the top right corner of the sidebar
2. Choose file type (note, todo list, or data file)
3. Name your file
4. File opens automatically in the research panel

### Moving Files

Drag and drop files between folders or right-click for cut/copy/paste options. File paths update automatically when moved.

### Folder Structure Best Practices

* Group by experiment or project phase
* Use descriptive folder names (e.g., "Protein\_Design\_Jan2025")
* Keep frequently accessed files in root or pinned folders

## Next Steps

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Chat" href="/user-guide/features/chat">
    Learn about creating and managing conversations within projects
  </Card>

  <Card title="File Management" href="/user-guide/features/file-management">
    Organize files within your project workspace
  </Card>

  <Card title="Workflows" href="/user-guide/features/workflows">
    Create reusable workflows for your projects
  </Card>

  <Card title="Notebooks" href="/user-guide/features/notebooks">
    Organize research notes by project
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

<Tip>
  **Pro Tip**: Create a "Sandbox" or "Testing" project for experimenting with new workflows and features. Keep your main research projects focused and organized.
</Tip>