Resumen de Developing and Implementing a Free Online Protein Structure and Function Exploration Project To Teach Undergraduate Students Macromolecular Structure–Function Relationships
Elizabeth L. Magnotti, Julia Moy, Rosalie Sleppy, Anna Carey, Yitna Firdyiwek, Reginald H. Garrett, Charles M. Grisham
One of the learning outcomes of any undergraduate biochemistry course should be an appreciation of the relationship between structure and function in biological macromolecules. The availability of state-of-the-art modeling software provides an opportunity to achieve this goal in interesting ways. The Protein Structure and Function Exploration (PSAFE) project was developed at the University of Virginia to introduce undergraduate biochemists to the significance of structure–function relationships and the nuances of scientific writing. The PSAFE project uses the molecular-document capability of the ICM Browser (from Molsoft LLC) to accomplish its goals. Students in introductory biochemistry lecture courses are each assigned a particular protein or nucleic acid to study and characterize throughout the semester. The students progress from learning the basics of protein structure early in the course to a thorough analysis of their proteins and how they achieve their functions, culminating in production of a descriptive narrative by the end of the semester. The student projects are reviewed and edited and then uploaded to an archival website. More than 1100 such projects have now been archived on this site. The majority of the students in these courses report that the PSAFE project was a challenging but highly satisfying experience that greatly enriched their understanding and appreciation of protein structure. PSAFE Online is now available to any interested instructors and students.
