Developing Computer Simulations of Protein Laboratory Procedures for Case-Based Learning in International Biology Curricula and Pre-service Science Teacher Education

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We are developing open-ended computer simulations of protein laboratoryprocedures for case-based learning in international biology curricula. We are distributingthese simulations freely via Internet download so that they are available to university andhigh school students worldwide. Existing protein software applications lack the ability toproduce realistic, easily understandable output for procedures such as enzymeimmunoassays, hemagglutination inhibition, immunofluorescence, proteinelectrophoresis, and western blotting. Such procedures are especially useful for theanalysis of cases involving infectious diseases of humans and domestic animals includinganthrax, foot-and-mouth disease, influenza, HIV infection, hantavirus, encephalitis, Lymedisease, genital herpes, hepatitis, brucellosis and rinderpest, among many others. Theyprovide a vehicle for making topics in molecular biology more interesting and relevant tostudents, particularly female non-science majors. Protein simulations complementDNA simulations we have previously developed and freely distributed for the analysis of casesbased primarily on human genetic diseases. The proposed simulations have wideapplicability because they can be adapted to any protein-based case scenario. Studentscan participate in Internet "poster sessions" via an online integrated web editor /conferencing system we developed with prior NSF support.Pre-service science teachers are being used as research assistants for assessment, and resultsare being widely disseminated via presentations, workshops, and publications including theBioQUEST Library. The BioQUEST Curriculum Consortium strongly supports thisproposal and is assisting in the evaluation and dissemination of project results.