RCN-UBE: Engaging Educators in Developing and Using Molecular Case Studies at the Interface of Biology and Chemistry

探索蛋白质、DNA和RNA的三维形状和相互作用可以提供对它们生物功能的洞察。通过可视化这些生物分子的原子结构，映射生物信息学资源中的信息，并应用生物和化学知识，人们可以预测分子在不同条件下的行为，甚至可以设计出具有独特性质和功能的新分子。向本科生介绍这种探索的一种方法是通过案例研究。作为该项目所基于的孵化器奖的一部分，开发了几个分子案例研究并进行了初步测试，这些研究可在分子箱网站上获得。这些案例帮助使用它们的生物学学生识别和讨论潜在的生物过程/细胞事件的化学相互作用，并帮助化学学生考虑化学反应的生物学背景。这个项目将通过培训本科教育工作者小组来扩大这个集合，以开发和实施探索结构-功能关系的新的分子案例研究。这个RCN-UBE项目将专注于将分子Casenet培养成一个充满活力的教育工作者和学者社区。这一目标将通过招聘和培训生物和化学教员，利用usinghttps://www.ejacket.nsf.gov/ej/showReviewAnalysisList.do真实的分子结构研究数据、开放获取的生物数据库和主流生物信息学工具，在生物和化学界面上开发和实施新的分子案例研究来实现。这样做将使先前在结构/功能方面经验有限的教育工作者在教授分子细节方面的学科内容时获得信心。在该项目期间进行的观察和测量将有助于揭示在入门课程中讨论原子一级的生物/化学现象方面的挑战。他们将被用来评估实施案例后教育工作者知识、经验和信心的变化。反过来，这些见解将被用来指导未来探索分子结构和相关生物信息学资源的必要支架的发展。该项目由生物科学局、生物基础设施部和教育与人力资源局、本科教育司联合资助，作为他们努力应对“本科生物学教育的愿景与变革：行动呼吁”(http://visionandchange/finalreport).This奖)中提出的挑战的一部分，该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Exploring the three-dimensional shapes and interactions of proteins, DNA, and RNA can provide insights into their biological functions. By visualizing the atomic structures of these biomolecules, mapping information from bioinformatics resources on them, and applying biological and chemical knowledge, one can predict a molecule's behavior under different conditions and even design new molecules with unique properties and functions. One way to introduce undergraduate students to such explorations is through case studies. As part of the incubator award on which this project is based, several molecular case studies were developed and pilot tested and are available on the Molecular CaseNet website. These cases help the biology students who use them identify and discuss chemical interactions underlying biological processes/cellular events and help chemistry students consider the biological contexts of chemical reactions. This project will expand this collection by training groups of undergraduate educators to develop and implement new molecular case studies that explore structure-function relationships.This RCN-UBE project will focus on growing Molecular CaseNet into a vibrant community of educators and scholars. This objective will be accomplished by recruiting and training biology and chemistry faculty to develop and implement new molecular case studies at the interface of biology and chemistry by usinghttps://www.ejacket.nsf.gov/ej/showReviewAnalysisList.do authentic molecular structure research data, open access biological databases, and mainstream bioinformatics tools. Doing so will enable educators who have limited prior experience with structure/function to gain confidence in teaching their disciplinary content in molecular detail. Observations and measurements made during the project will help uncover challenges in discussing biological/chemical phenomenon at the atomic level in introductory courses. They will be used to assess changes in educator knowledge, experience, and confidence that result from implementing the cases. In turn, these insights will be used to guide future development of necessary scaffolds for exploring molecular structures and linked bioinformatics resources.This project is being jointly funded by the Directorate for Biological Sciences, Division of Biological Infrastructure, and the Directorate for Education and Human Resources, Division of Undergraduate Education as part of their efforts to address the challenges posed in "Vision and Change in Undergraduate Biology Education: A Call to Action" (http://visionandchange/finalreport).This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.