2026 NSTA Sessions Conference Schedule
Explore the molecular world from a new perspective! Join 3D Molecular Designs at the 2026 NSTA Conference in Anaheim to see how modeling transforms student learning.
Thursday, April 16
8:00am || North Building, Room 161
Session Title: From Water to Bilayers: A Discovery-Based Dive into Water and Membranes
Presenter: Keri Shingleton
Session Description: Splash into the molecular world of water and membranes through hands-on learning! Experience simple, powerful models that bring water’s abstract properties to life and reveal how they drive membrane structure and behavior. Step into your students’ shoes as you tinker with models to wonder, investigate, and revise your own ideas about biological membranes. We’ll spotlight strategies that center student discovery and thinking, support NGSS practices, and connect microscopic interactions to big biological ideas. Join us to explore ways to make membrane chemistry tangible, visual, and fun.
Featured kits and models: Water Kit©, Aquaporin Mighty Model©
Friday, April 17
8:00am || North Building, Room 161
Session Title: Molecules of Life
Presenter: Tim HermanSession Description: Life happens in water! Many teachers consider water to be the first molecule of life. But there are four other small molecules that make up the major constituents of a living cell: Amino Acids (which become proteins); Phospholipids (which become membranes); Carbohydrates (which become cell walls and food); and Nucleotides (which become DNA and RNA). This workshop will explore how physical models can be used to introduce your students to the molecular basis of life.
Presenter: Tim Herman
Session Description: Life happens in water! Many teachers consider water to be the first molecule of life. But there are four other small molecules that make up the major constituents of a living cell: Amino Acids (which become proteins); Phospholipids (which become membranes); Carbohydrates (which become cell walls and food); and Nucleotides (which become DNA and RNA). This workshop will explore how physical models can be used to introduce your students to the molecular basis of life.
Featured kits and models: Molecules of Life Modeling Kit©
9:20am || North Building, Room 161
Session Title: Protein Pep Talk: Folding Big Ideas into Every Biology Class
Presenter: Keri ShingletonSession Description: Proteins power everything from enzymes to immune responses—and understanding their structure helps all students appreciate their importance. In this hands-on session, you’ll build amino acids, link them into chains, and explore how simple interactions help those chains fold into working proteins. You’ll use 3D Molecular Designs models the way students do: tinkering, spotting patterns, and revising your ideas as structure and function emerge.
Presenter: Keri Shingleton
Session Description: Proteins power everything from enzymes to immune responses—and understanding their structure helps all students appreciate their importance. In this hands-on session, you’ll build amino acids, link them into chains, and explore how simple interactions help those chains fold into working proteins. You’ll use 3D Molecular Designs models the way students do: tinkering, spotting patterns, and revising your ideas as structure and function emerge.
Featured kits and models: Amino Acid Starter Kit©, Phospholipid Modeling Set, Mighty Model Channel Protein Collection©
10:40am || North Building, Room 161
Session Title: Double Helix Deep Dive: DNA Models That Inspire Curiosity
Presenter: Keri ShingletonSession Description: DNA is everywhere in biology—but do students really understand its structure beyond base pairing? In this hands-on session, you'll build nucleotides, connect base pairs, and assemble the double helix using 3D Molecular Designs models. Along the way, you'll explore what makes DNA flexible, antiparallel, and replication-ready—and how it differs from RNA. You'll leave with active learning strategies, ready-to-use modeling challenges, and fresh ways to make DNA structure feel accessible, accurate, and engaging for all your biology students.
Presenter: Keri Shingleton
Session Description: DNA is everywhere in biology—but do students really understand its structure beyond base pairing? In this hands-on session, you'll build nucleotides, connect base pairs, and assemble the double helix using 3D Molecular Designs models. Along the way, you'll explore what makes DNA flexible, antiparallel, and replication-ready—and how it differs from RNA. You'll leave with active learning strategies, ready-to-use modeling challenges, and fresh ways to make DNA structure feel accessible, accurate, and engaging for all your biology students.
Featured kits and models: DNA Starter Kit©, Dynamic DNA Kit©
1:20pm || North Building, Room 161
Session Title: Cell Modeling and Molecular Landscapes
Presenter: Tim HermanSession Description: This hands-on session will challenge participants to create and interpret models to illustrate the diversity of structures and functions of life at the cellular level. Participants will be given a brief overview of the Cell Modeling Kit© and then create a cell model of a particular kind of cell, given only its function. The goal of this session is to tap creative thinking about modeling and highlight the versatility of the cell modeling kits.
Presenter: Tim Herman
Session Description: This hands-on session will challenge participants to create and interpret models to illustrate the diversity of structures and functions of life at the cellular level. Participants will be given a brief overview of the Cell Modeling Kit© and then create a cell model of a particular kind of cell, given only its function. The goal of this session is to tap creative thinking about modeling and highlight the versatility of the cell modeling kits.
Featured kits and models: Cell Modeling Kit©
2:40pm || North Building, Room 161
Session Title: Bacteriophages: Dark Matter of the Universe
Presenter: Tim HermanSession Description: The T4 Bacteriophage is a fantastical E. coli killing machine. It has evolved—over several billion years—the ability to walk around in the tall grass (lipopolysaccharides) that covers the outside surface of an E. coli cell until it finds its specific receptor protein embedded in the E. coli outer membrane. This binding the long, spindly legs of the T4 Phage with its receptor then triggers the subsequent events that results in the efficient infection of the E. coli cell. Once the T4 Phage has injected its DNA into E. coli, it begins choreographing the many processes that lead to the replication of hundreds of new T4 Phage particles. In the last phase of the T4 Phage infection cycle, the infected E. coli bursts open releasing hundreds of new phage particles.
Presenter: Tim Herman
Session Description: The T4 Bacteriophage is a fantastical E. coli killing machine. It has evolved—over several billion years—the ability to walk around in the tall grass (lipopolysaccharides) that covers the outside surface of an E. coli cell until it finds its specific receptor protein embedded in the E. coli outer membrane. This binding the long, spindly legs of the T4 Phage with its receptor then triggers the subsequent events that results in the efficient infection of the E. coli cell. Once the T4 Phage has injected its DNA into E. coli, it begins choreographing the many processes that lead to the replication of hundreds of new T4 Phage particles. In the last phase of the T4 Phage infection cycle, the infected E. coli bursts open releasing hundreds of new phage particles.
This session will introduce a physical model of a T4 Phage to explore all phases of its life cycle, enhanced by digital exploration of a molecular landscape by David Goodsell.
Featured kits and models: Cell Modeling Kit©
-1.jpg?width=595&height=316&name=0D6A7044%20(2)-1.jpg)