Understanding Biophysics using Microsoft Excel

使用 Microsoft Excel 了解生物物理学

• 批准号: 0836833
• 负责人: Peter Nelson
• 金额: $ 14.92万
• 依托单位: Benedictine University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2009
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2009-06-01 至 2013-05-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0836833&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Understanding; Biophysics; using; Microsoft; Excel

This project involves using Excel spreadsheets to help undergraduate students develop an understanding of advanced topics in biophysics even if they do not have a calculus background. It expands upon and brings to maturation an approach that has been in development for the last six years. It is being disseminated to others for beta testing, evaluation, revision and adoption so that a wide spectrum of physical and life science undergraduate students can be exposed to important topics in biophysics that are absent from the traditional (calculus reliant) undergraduate curriculum. Intellectual Merit: The project advances teaching of quantitative biophysical concepts to a broad audience including undergraduates with no calculus background. The project is: 1) developing teaching modules suitable for students both with and without calculus backgrounds; 2) assessing the modules as a learning tool in the actual classroom; 3) disseminating these modules to the wider teaching community; 4) strengthening student understanding of current research techniques, particularly for women and minorities; and 5) increasing interdisciplinary interactions between different disciplines. The simulations developed in the modules involve students in developing their own simulations "from scratch" using the basic assumptions of the physical model. The students then discover the predictions of the model by analyzing the simulation output. Fundamental biological processes covered include: diffusion; membrane transport and equilibrium (including the Nernst Potential and osmotic pressure); development of simple ion channel models and comparison with experiment; directed random transport processes (including sedimentation, electrophoresis and motor proteins); the fundamentals of computational molecular biology (including molecular dynamics techniques); and fluid dynamics (Poiseuille flow). All of the proposed modules are activity-based. Broader Impacts: The immediate goal of the project is for individual modules (or small subsets) to be included in biology courses, or in mathematics and physical science courses in accordance with the second recommendation in the National Research Council's recommendations for interdisciplinary teaching (see Bio2010: Transforming Undergraduate Education for Future Research Biologists). Implementation of the modules requires only modest computing resources, namely an inexpensive PC capable of running Excel software, thus greatly facilitating adaptation by a wide range of institutions. In order to maximize the potential impact of the material being developed the work is being presented: at a variety of national conferences in areas such as biology, physics, biochemistry and physiology; in articles submitted to appropriate journals in these same disciplines; and is being considered for dissemination through the Biological ESTEEM Collection, a project of the BioQuest Curriculum Consortium, a consortium that disseminates peer-reviewed Excel simulations to biology and mathematics educators.

这个项目涉及使用Excel电子表格来帮助本科生发展对生物物理学高级主题的理解，即使他们没有微积分背景。它扩展并成熟了过去六年来一直在开发的方法。它正在被传播给其他人进行beta测试、评估、修订和采用，以便广泛的物理和生命科学本科学生可以接触到传统（依赖微积分）本科课程中缺少的生物物理学的重要主题。智力优势：该项目推进了定量生物物理概念的教学，面向包括没有微积分背景的本科生在内的广大受众。项目内容：1)开发适合有和没有微积分背景的学生的教学模块；2)在实际课堂中评估模块作为学习工具的效果；3)将这些模块推广到更广泛的教学社区；4)加强学生对当前研究技术的理解，特别是对妇女和少数民族的理解；5)增加不同学科间的跨学科互动。在模块中开发的模拟涉及到学生使用物理模型的基本假设“从零开始”开发他们自己的模拟。然后，学生们通过分析模拟输出来发现模型的预测。涵盖的基本生物过程包括：扩散；膜运输和平衡（包括能势和渗透压）；简单离子通道模型的建立及与实验的比较定向随机运输过程（包括沉淀、电泳和运动蛋白）；计算分子生物学的基础知识（包括分子动力学技术）；流体动力学（泊泽维尔流）。所有建议的模块都是基于活动的。更广泛的影响：该项目的近期目标是将单个模块（或小子集）纳入生物学课程，或根据国家研究委员会跨学科教学建议中的第二项建议纳入数学和物理科学课程（参见Bio2010：为未来的研究生物学家转变本科教育）。这些模块的实施只需要少量的计算资源，即一台能够运行Excel软件的廉价个人电脑，从而极大地促进了各种机构的适应。为了最大限度地发挥正在开发的材料的潜在影响，这项工作正在生物学、物理学、生物化学和生理学等领域的各种国家会议上进行展示；在提交给同一学科的适当期刊的文章中；正在考虑通过BioQuest课程联盟的一个项目Biological ESTEEM Collection进行传播，该联盟向生物学和数学教育者传播同行评审的Excel模拟。