The Use of Stereolithography and Computer Graphics to Develop Three-Dimensional Tactile Models for Use by Blind and Visually Impaired Scientists

Carol a . Venanzi教授和William J. Skawinski博士得到了理论和计算化学项目的资助，他们将：1)对amiloride类似物进行理论化学研究，以了解其作为上皮细胞钠通道阻阻剂的功效；2)将立体光版术与计算机图形学结合起来，作为视障科学家的三维触觉建模技术。% % % Drs。Venanzi和Skawinski将使用分子静电势图的理论计算来解释化合物amiloride的化学类似物的结合常数的实验数据，amiloride是一种已知的利尿剂和有效的钠通道阻滞剂。他们的工作假设是，远程静电相互作用将阿米洛利分子定向并引导到通道结合位点，而通道结合位点必须在分子形状和分子静电势上与阿米洛利互补。作为这项研究的一部分，他们还将利用一种被称为立体光刻的技术，将3-D计算机生成的图像转化为触觉模型，这样，视力受损的理论化学家斯卡文斯基博士就可以感知活性物种的分子形状，并积极参与研究。

Professor Carol A. Venanzi and Dr. William J. Skawinski are supported by a grant from the Theoretical and Computational Chemistry Program to: 1) perform theoretical chemical studies of amiloride analogs in an effort to understand their efficacy as sodium channel blockers in epithelial cells, and 2) to develop the use of stereolithography in conjunction with computer graphics as a three-dimensional tactile modeling technique for visually impaired scientists. %%% Drs. Venanzi and Skawinski will use theoretical calculations of molecular electrostatic potential maps to explain experimental data on the binding constants for chemical analogs of the compound amiloride which is a known diuretic drug and a potent sodium channel blocker. Their working hypothesis is that the long-range electrostatic interactions orient and direct the amiloride molecule into the channel binding site which must be complementary to amiloride in both molecular shape and molecular electrostatic potential. As part of this research they will also exploit a technique known as stereolithography to translate 3-D computer generated images into tactile models so that Dr. Skawinski, a visually impaired theoretical chemist, can perceive the molecular shapes of the active species and actively participate in the research.