2023 CAST Houston Conference Schedule
Come and model with us at the Conference for the Advancement of Science Teaching! Join us at Booth #123 to see all of the kits and models we have to offer. Then, attend one of our sessions in Room 361BE to see how modeling helps students experience science in a unique and mind-opening way.
Thursday, November 9th
8:00 - 9:00am
Session Title: It All Begins with Water
Presenter: Ruth Hutson
Session Description: Everything is dependent on water. Explore several properties of this remarkable compound with tried-and-true phenomena. Learn multiple ways to model those phenomena using the Water Kit©.
Featured kits and models: Water Kit©
Presenter: Ruth Hutson
Session Description: Everything is dependent on water. Explore several properties of this remarkable compound with tried-and-true phenomena. Learn multiple ways to model those phenomena using the Water Kit©.
Featured kits and models: Water Kit©
11:30am - 12:30pm
Session Title: Un-cooking the egg - Modeling protein structure and denaturation in the classroom
Presenter: Mark Arnholt
Session Description: What happens when you cook an egg? Is it possible to un-cook it? Investigate the characteristics of amino acids, the levels (and rules!) of protein folding, and how denaturing a protein alters its function in an engaging hands-on modeling investigation using the Amino Acid Starter Kit©.
Featured kits and models: Amino Acid Starter Kit©
Presenter: Mark Arnholt
Session Description: What happens when you cook an egg? Is it possible to un-cook it? Investigate the characteristics of amino acids, the levels (and rules!) of protein folding, and how denaturing a protein alters its function in an engaging hands-on modeling investigation using the Amino Acid Starter Kit©.
Featured kits and models: Amino Acid Starter Kit©
1:00 - 2:00pm
Session Title: Hurry up and wait! – Utilizing “downtime” in Biotechnology wet labs -> Plasmid Ligation
Presenter: Mark Arnholt
Session Description: Give your students a deeper understanding of what is happening inside those tiny tubes during PCR, endonuclease digest, and incubation wait times through hands-on modeling. This workshop will feature the use of the Biotechnology Kit© and focus on plasmid ligation. but be applicable during multiple biotechnology wet labs.
Featured kits and models: Biotechnology Kit©
Presenter: Mark Arnholt
Session Description: Give your students a deeper understanding of what is happening inside those tiny tubes during PCR, endonuclease digest, and incubation wait times through hands-on modeling. This workshop will feature the use of the Biotechnology Kit© and focus on plasmid ligation. but be applicable during multiple biotechnology wet labs.
Featured kits and models: Biotechnology Kit©
2:30 - 3:30pm
Session Title: Dynamic DNA: More Than Just A’s, T’s, C’s, and G’s
Presenter: Tim Herman, PhD
Session Description: Examine how modeling deepens student engagement. Explore carefully designed models to discover basic features of DNA structure and function using an atomically accurate model. Model nucleotides, DNA and RNA polymers, genetic sequences, genetic engineering, and epigenetics.
Featured kits and models: Dynamic DNA Kit©
4:00 - 5:00pm
Session Title: It’s All in the Genes – Exploring Mendelian and non-Mendelian inheritance through modeling
Presenter: Ruth Hutson
Session Description: Help direct student questions towards investigation and modeling several types of inheritance with the Chromosome Connection Kit©. Construct Punnett squares with gene sequences as alleles to connect inheritance of traits to chromosomes at the molecular level.
Featured kits and models: Chromosome Connections Kit©
Friday, November 10th
8:00 - 9:00am
Session Title: Enhancing Molecular Models with Augmented Reality (AR)
Presenter: Tim Herman, PhD, Mark Arnholt, & Ruth Hutson
Presenter: Tim Herman, PhD, Mark Arnholt, & Ruth Hutson
Session Description: Join us for a show-and-tell session on our new AR materials, including activities related to water, proteins, membranes, DNA, cells, and more!
Featured kits and models: Dynamic DNA Kit©, Water Kit©
Featured kits and models: Dynamic DNA Kit©, Water Kit©
9:30 - 10:30am
Session Title: Water, water everywhere, but how did it get in there? - Modeling the movement of water (and ions) across cell membranes
Presenter: Mark Arnholt
Session Description: Participants will explore the aspects of water and ion transport across cell membranes using the Phospholipid and Membrane Transport Kit© and our Mighty Model Channel Protein Collection©. 3D models of Na+ and K+ channel proteins and aquaporin will help your students understand cellular transport and action potentials in your General Biology or Anatomy classes.
Featured kits and models: Phospholipid & Membrane Transport Kit©
Presenter: Mark Arnholt
Session Description: Participants will explore the aspects of water and ion transport across cell membranes using the Phospholipid and Membrane Transport Kit© and our Mighty Model Channel Protein Collection©. 3D models of Na+ and K+ channel proteins and aquaporin will help your students understand cellular transport and action potentials in your General Biology or Anatomy classes.
Featured kits and models: Phospholipid & Membrane Transport Kit©
11:00am - 12:00pm
Session Title: Introducing Mighty Models: From Water Channels to Action Potentials
Presenter: Tim Herman, PhD
Session Description: Experience our new collection of protein models enhanced by molecular stories, digital resources, and augmented reality technology. Bigger, better, and more robust.
Featured kits and models: Mighty Model Channel Protein Collection©
Presenter: Tim Herman, PhD
Session Description: Experience our new collection of protein models enhanced by molecular stories, digital resources, and augmented reality technology. Bigger, better, and more robust.
Featured kits and models: Mighty Model Channel Protein Collection©
12:30 - 1:30pm
Session Title: It’s time to talk about it - Addressing the opioid epidemic with high school students
Presenter: Mark Arnholt & Ruth Hutson
Session Description: According to the CDC, there were 110,000 overdose deaths in the US in 2022. 75,000 of those were due to fentanyl, a powerful and dangerous synthetic opioid. Join us as we model action potentials, how fentanyl disrupts synaptic signaling, and how Narcan can stop an overdose.
Featured kits and models: Synapse Construction Kit©
Presenter: Mark Arnholt & Ruth Hutson
Session Description: According to the CDC, there were 110,000 overdose deaths in the US in 2022. 75,000 of those were due to fentanyl, a powerful and dangerous synthetic opioid. Join us as we model action potentials, how fentanyl disrupts synaptic signaling, and how Narcan can stop an overdose.
Featured kits and models: Synapse Construction Kit©
2:00 - 3:00pm
Session Title: The view from 1,000,000X: a tour of the human cell
Presenter: Ruth Hutson
Session Description: Explore a human plasma cell and see how physical models foster an understanding of how the structure of DNA and RNA determines the structure of proteins, which carry out the essential functions of life.
Featured kits and models: Flow Of Genetic Information Kit©
Presenter: Ruth Hutson
Session Description: Explore a human plasma cell and see how physical models foster an understanding of how the structure of DNA and RNA determines the structure of proteins, which carry out the essential functions of life.
Featured kits and models: Flow Of Genetic Information Kit©
3:30 - 4:30pm
Session Title: Un-cooking the egg - Modeling protein structure and denaturation in the classroom
Presenter: Mark Arnholt
Session Description: What happens when you cook an egg? Is it possible to un-cook it? Investigate the characteristics of amino acids, the levels (and rules!) of protein folding, and how denaturing a protein alters its function in an engaging hands-on modeling investigation using the Amino Acid Starter Kit©.
Featured kits and models: Amino Acid Starter Kit©
Saturday, November 11th
8:00 - 9:00am
Session Title: It All Begins with Water
Presenter: Ruth Hutson
Session Description: Everything is dependent on water. Explore several properties of this remarkable compound with tried-and-true phenomena. Learn multiple ways to model those phenomena using the Water Kit©.
Featured kits and models: Water Kit©
Presenter: Ruth Hutson
Session Description: Everything is dependent on water. Explore several properties of this remarkable compound with tried-and-true phenomena. Learn multiple ways to model those phenomena using the Water Kit©.
Featured kits and models: Water Kit©
9:30 - 10:30am
Session Title: The Science of Infectious Diseases
Presenter: Tim Herman, PhD
Session Description: This session will preview a professional opportunity being developed by 3D Molecular Designs focused on the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases. This project is funded by an NIH SEPA award to 3D Molecular Designs.
Featured kits and models: Coronavirus Models©, CRISPR Adaptive Immunity Kit©, Making The Cut With CRISPR-Cas9©
Presenter: Tim Herman, PhD
Session Description: This session will preview a professional opportunity being developed by 3D Molecular Designs focused on the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases. This project is funded by an NIH SEPA award to 3D Molecular Designs.
Featured kits and models: Coronavirus Models©, CRISPR Adaptive Immunity Kit©, Making The Cut With CRISPR-Cas9©
11:00am - 12:00pm
Session Title: Bridging the Cellular and Molecular Worlds with David Goodsell’s Landscapes
Presenter: Tim Herman, PhD
Session Description: Examine David Goodsell's landscapes that illustrate the molecular world in a whole new way. One landscape, Tour of a Human Cell©, contains numerous biological concepts.
Featured kits and models: David Goodsell Cellular Landscapes
Session Description: Examine David Goodsell's landscapes that illustrate the molecular world in a whole new way. One landscape, Tour of a Human Cell©, contains numerous biological concepts.
Featured kits and models: David Goodsell Cellular Landscapes
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