NOTE 1: These workshops will be attended primarily by faculty from
the NORTHEASTERN USA because of the requirement to travel to Amherst MA
on three (3) separate occasions at your own expense.
NOTE 2: These workshops are for faculty teaching biological or
biochemical
subjects involving MACROmolecules, where visualization without modeling
is appropriate. Chemistry faculty interested in modeling software for
small molecules should consider a separate workshop,
http://copper.chem.umass.edu/Lahti-stuff/NERMMW_PAGE/nermmw.html
Free Workshops on Molecular Visualization
for Undergraduate Bioscience Teaching
Amherst MA -- Summer, 1997-8
Free, hands-on workshops will be held this summer at the University
of Massachusetts in Amherst to prepare college faculty with no prior
experience to use molecular visualization in their classes.
Understanding the three-dimensional structures of proteins, DNA,
RNA, and their interactions is difficult from flat pictures, yet
grasping structure is important to understanding function. Free
software is now available which displays attention-grabbing 3D
animated images of biological molecules in depth-cued spacefilling
color. RasMol (http://www.umass.edu/microbio/rasmol), which
works on Windows or Macs, encourages self-directed exploration.
Chime (http://www.umass.edu/microbio/chime) allows annotated
preset views of molecules to be delivered as web tutorials.
Workshop participants will travel to the Amherst campus on three
separate days (two this summer, one the following summer), and are
responsible for their own travel expenses (and therefore are expected
primarily from the Northeastern USA). Overnight accomodations will be
provided free to those needing them (based on distance traveled).
Participants will be expected to incorporate molecular visualization
into their teaching, and to mentor two faculty colleagues at their
home institution.
The workshops will be led by Eric Martz, a Professor in the
Department of Microbiology. Martz has innovated molecular structure
tutorials which are in use throughout the USA and in dozens of other
countries. The web site he created (see above) was visited by
40,000 people in 1996.
1997 dates are June 17 and 30 (workshop A), or June 19 and July 2
(workshop B). Workshops A and B also meet for one day in late June
1998. To obtain more detailed information and a REGISTRATION
FORM, visit
http://www.umass.edu/microbio/rasmol/workshop.htm
or FAX a request to 413-545-1578,
or email a request to emartz at microbio.umass.edu.
Supported by the National Science Foundation (Undergraduate Faculty
Enhancement, Division of Undergraduate Education) and the University
of Massachusetts.
