"A professional association (also called a professional body, professional organization, or professional society) is usually a non-profit organization seeking to further a particular profession, the interests of individuals engaged in that profession, and the public interest." Wikipedia.
Professional societies are invaluable sources of information; they provide members with the most current research, career support and a multitude of networking opportunities.
Image source: Dcrjsr. Example of the "S-motif", a local 3-D structural motif occurring within A-form double helices of RNA, especially in ribosomes; this classic example is from the "sarcin-ricin loop", an important site for binding elongation factors, which is targeted by the ricin family of toxins. CC BY-SA 3.0. Wikimedia Commons.