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

我们正在开发蛋白质实验室的开放式计算机模拟程序，以便在国际生物学课程中进行基于案例的学习。我们通过互联网下载免费分发这些模拟，以便全世界的大学生和高中生都可以使用。现有的蛋白质软件应用程序缺乏为酶免疫分析、血凝抑制、免疫荧光、蛋白质电泳和蛋白质印迹等程序生成真实、易于理解的输出的能力。这类程序特别有助于分析涉及人和家畜传染病的病例，包括炭疽病、口蹄疫、流感、艾滋病毒感染、汉坦病毒、脑炎、莱姆病、生殖器疱疹、肝炎、布鲁氏菌病和牛瘟等。它们提供了一种工具，让分子生物学的主题对学生，特别是非理科专业的女性来说更有趣、更相关。蛋白质模拟补充了我们以前开发并免费分发的DNA模拟，用于主要基于人类遗传病的病例分析。所提出的模拟具有广泛的适用性，因为它们可以适应任何基于蛋白质的情况。学生可以通过我们之前在NSF支持下开发的在线集成网络编辑/会议系统来参与互联网“海报会议”。职前科学教师被用作评估的研究助理，结果通过演讲、研讨会和出版物(包括BioQUEST图书馆)广泛传播。BioQUEST课程联盟强烈支持这一提议，并正在协助评估和传播项目结果。

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.