Developing a Molecular Mindset

Our students grow up in a macroscopic world. So, it’s no wonder that when you ask them, “What is a protein?” you get a macroscopic answer.  For these students, protein is something they eat… a part of their diet, along with carbohydrates and fat.  If asked to draw a protein, they might draw a hamburger.

A challenge for today’s bioscience educators is to help students develop a molecular mindset.  The primary mission of 3D Molecular Designs is to create instructional tools that help students think about the molecular processes that make our macroscopic world possible.

• Upon hearing the word protein, we want students to think about a linear sequence of amino acids that spontaneously folds up into a compact 3D shape – that carries out some molecular process. 
• When they raise their hand to answer a question, we want them to think about a series of ion channel proteins embedded in the membrane of a neuron – that open and close at precisely the right time to propagate an action potential – that results in the contraction of muscle cells. 

We believe that this molecular mindset will help today’s students to develop an appreciation for science and prepare them to understand the mode of action of the many molecular therapeutics that will allow them to thrive in their macroscopic world.    

– Tim Herman