Combining 3D-Printed Models and Open Source Molecular Modeling of p53 To Engage Students with Concepts in Cell Biology†

While understanding macromolecular structural elements and their roles in dictating cellular function is critical to grasp basic concepts in biology, it can be challenging for students to master this content—these elements naturally exist at the nanoscale and are not observable with the naked eye. Oftentimes this understanding is catalyzed by impactful illustrations and animations found online and in textbooks. In recent years, 3D printing technology has become readily accessible as an additional way to generate models and visualize entities of interest. In this report, we describe and discuss the efficacy of an approach using 3D-printed models in combination with online open-source molecular modeling analyses of the macromolecular structure of p53 to engage students with molecular concepts in cancer cell biology and human health. This pedagogy strategy has been successfully integrated into an upper-level undergraduate course at a primarily undergraduate institution and a graduate biology course at a public research university. We describe the potential benefits while providing tools for others to integrate this strategy into their teaching.

• Publication year

  2020

• Venue

  Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education

• Publication date

  2020-12-21

• Fields of study

  Biology, Medicine, Computer Science, Education

• Identifiers
  DOI 10.1128/jmbe.v21i3.2161PMID 33384761PMCID 7747883
• External record

  Open on Semantic Scholar

• Source metadata

  Semantic Scholar, PubMed

• No claims are published for this paper.

• No concepts are published for this paper.

• p53 Isoforms and Their Implications in Cancer

  2018cited by this paper
• Students Multimodal Literacy and Design of Learning During Self-Studies in Higher Education

  2018cited by this paper
• Using 3D printed physical models to monitor knowledge integration in biochemistry

  2018cited by this paper
• Assemble-And-Match: A Novel Hybrid Tool for Enhancing Education and Research in Rational Structure Based Drug Design

  2018cited by this paper
• Visualizing the Invisible: A Guide to Designing, Printing, and Incorporating Dynamic 3D Molecular Models to Teach Structure–Function Relationships †

  2018cited by this paper
• 3D Printing of Biomolecular Models for Research and Pedagogy

  2017cited by this paper
• Creating 3D physical models to probe student understanding of macromolecular structure

  2017cited by this paper
• Do-It-Yourself: 3D Models of Hydrogenic Orbitals through 3D Printing

  2016cited by this paper
• Using yeast to determine the functional consequences of mutations in the human p53 tumor suppressor gene: An introductory course‐based undergraduate research experience in molecular and cell biology

  2016cited by this paper
• A Guide to Teaching in the Active Learning Classroom

  2016cited by this paper
• Creating and Using Interactive, 3D-Printed Models to Improve Student Comprehension of the Bohr Model of the Atom, Bond Polarity, and Hybridization

  2016cited by this paper
• 3D Printing in Instructional Settings: Identifying a Curricular Hierarchy of Activities

  2015cited by this paper
• 3D Printing of Protein Models in an Undergraduate Laboratory: Leucine Zippers

  2015cited by this paper
• A combination of hand-held models and computer imaging programs helps students answer oral questions about molecular structure and function: a controlled investigation of student learning.

  2009cited by this paper
• Grown Up Digital: How the Net Generation is Changing Your World

  2009cited by this paper
• Young Citizens in the Digital Age: Political Engagement, Young People and New Media

  2008cited by this paper
• Biomolecules in the computer: Jmol to the rescue

  2006cited by this paper
• Tactile teaching: Exploring protein structure/function using physical models *

  2006cited by this paper
• The Use of the Free, Open-Source Program Jmol To Generate an Interactive Web Site To Teach Molecular Symmetry

  2005cited by this paper

• Teaching of the subject ‘Biomolecules in Living Organisms’ using 3D printing models

  2025cites this paper
• Exploring Success Factors for Underserved Graduate Students in STEM

  2025cites this paper
• Universal pictures: A lithophane codex helps teenagers with blindness visualize nanoscopic systems

  2024cites this paper
• The Influence of 3-D Model Biological Systems in Understanding Cellular Diversity

  2023cites this paper
• Helping students see bacteria in 3D: cellular models increase student learning about cell size and diffusion

  2023cites this paper
• Models and the Nature of Science: What Mediates Their Implementation in Portuguese Biology and Geology Classes?

  2021cites this paper