Thermohaline circulation is a foundational concept in introductory and advanced undergraduate oceanography courses which describes the density-driven flow of water throughout the world's oceans. This concept is commonly taught using two-dimensional (2D) diagrams and graphics. However, students often struggle with the three-dimensional (3D)…

Proteins are "magical" workers inside our body, as they accomplish most of the cellular functions. Here we report on a novel approach to teach protein folding and unfolding, using magnets and flexible 3D-printed protein structures. To illustrate this physical process, we used colored circular magnets designed for whiteboards, connected…

3D printers have facilitated a wealth of 3D printed molecular models illustrating key structural concepts for student learning. However, general adoption of 3D printed models in the organic chemistry classroom proceeds slowly as the majority of consumer-grade 3D (fused deposition modeling (FDM) and resin) printers are inherently monochromatic,…

This paper examines the development of rapid prototyping and how it affects industrial design students. Using a combination of survey and interview sessions the researcher studied how the development of these technologies affected the creative processes that designers use to develop new products, and whether this has had a positive or negative…

Three-dimensional printing was used to prepare a p-bonding model with embedded magnets. The model enables students to have a kinesthetic experience that simulates the energetics of bonding, antibonding, and nonbonding p-orbital interactions.

A simple procedure to convert protein data bank files (.pdb) into a stereolithography file (.stl) using VMD software (Virtual Molecular Dynamic) is reported. This tutorial allows generating, with a very simple protocol, three-dimensional customized structures that can be printed by a low-cost 3D-printer, and used for teaching chemical education…

Interdisciplinary exploration is vital to education in the 21st century. This manuscript outlines an innovative laboratory-based teaching method that combines elements of biochemistry/molecular biology, kinesiology/health science, computer science, and manufacturing engineering to give students the ability to better conceptualize complex…