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Teaching protein structure and function through molecular visualization
Umeå University, Faculty of Science and Technology, Department of Chemistry.
Umeå University, Faculty of Science and Technology, Department of Chemistry. Umeå University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Molecular Biology (Faculty of Medicine).
Umeå University, Faculty of Science and Technology, Department of Chemistry. Umeå University, Faculty of Medicine, Molecular Infection Medicine Sweden (MIMS).ORCID iD: 0000-0001-6870-0677
2024 (English)In: Biochemistry and molecular biology education, ISSN 1470-8175, E-ISSN 1539-3429Article in journal (Refereed) Epub ahead of print
Abstract [en]

The function of proteins is governed by their three-dimensional structure. This structure is determined by the chemical characteristics and atomic interactions of amino acids. Students of biochemistry, with a particular focus on protein chemistry, benefit from looking at protein structures and understanding how proteins are built and fold. Due to their three-dimensional nature, static two-dimensional representations in textbooks can be limiting to student learning. Here, we developed a series of tutorials that introduce students to molecular graphics software. The students are challenged to apply the software to look at proteins and to get a deeper understanding of how amino acid properties are linked to structure. We also familiarize students with some of the latest tools in computational structural biology. Students performed the tutorials with visual enthusiasm and reported general satisfaction in being able to visualize theoretical concepts learned during lectures. We further stimulated student engagement by allowing space for self-exploration. We share the tutorial instructions for other teachers to build on them, and we also offer suggestions for further improvement based on student feedback. In summary, we present a series of tutorials aimed at students of an advanced course in protein biochemistry to enable them to explore the universe of protein structures and how those relate to function.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
John Wiley & Sons, 2024.
Keywords [en]
biochemistry, molecular graphics, motifs, protein structure and function, tutorials
National Category
Biochemistry Molecular Biology Didactics
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:umu:diva-229632DOI: 10.1002/bmb.21860ISI: 001304099800001PubMedID: 39230433Scopus ID: 2-s2.0-85203271060OAI: oai:DiVA.org:umu-229632DiVA, id: diva2:1898038
Funder
Swedish Research Council, 2021-06602Swedish Research Council, 2022-02958Available from: 2024-09-16 Created: 2024-09-16 Last updated: 2025-02-20

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Baland, ElisabethPérez, LucíaMateus, André

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Baland, ElisabethPérez, LucíaMateus, André
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Department of ChemistryDepartment of Molecular Biology (Faculty of Medicine)Molecular Infection Medicine Sweden (MIMS)
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Biochemistry and molecular biology education
BiochemistryMolecular BiologyDidactics

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