LEGO LESSON 1 PPT Proteins LEGO Proteins An

LEGO LESSON 1 PPT Proteins ® LEGO Proteins An Introduction With slides from LEGO Protein Booklet 1 Kathy Vandiver, Ph. D. and Amanda Gruhl, Ph. D. Community Outreach and Education Program, Center for Environmental Health Sciences (CEHS ), MIT, Cambridge MA KV Version 4 -24 -11 © The LEGO Group and MIT All rights reserved 1

Teacher shows students this LEGO Protein model! What do you notice about this model? Students should come up with at least three descriptors before going to the next slide…. 2

Check your classes’ answers here: Observations about the LEGO Protein model Did you notice…. LEGO Model: Real Protein: 1) Has a flexible chain, folds into shapes 2) Is made of repeating units Is made o repeating units called amino acids 3) Those repeating units have different shapes Each real amino acid has a different chemical shape 4) Has 4 different colors Comes in different colors? Nope! There are 4 different kinds of amino acids…. © The LEGO Group and MIT All rights reserved 3

Think about cells. Where can you find proteins? Cells Keratin is a protein. Cells Actin and myosin are proteins. © The LEGO Group and MIT All rights reserved 4

A quick review of cell parts. Looking for proteins? Think smaller. 5

Proteins are in the cytoplasm …and in the cell membrane…and everywhere in the cell ! 6

Teams receive kits + 2 layout mats. Clear the tables! Let’s get ready to build and fold LEGO Proteins! Copyright The LEGO Group and MIT All rights reserved 7

Kit Check time! Layout mats make it easy. What color are hydrophobic LEGO amino acids? This is the color of butter, salad oil, chicken fat…. Things that are hydrophobic! 8

Each person picks up one amino acid. Find the 3 parts of an amino acid. 9

Important! Watch Teacher Demonstration on how to connect and disconnect Connecting amino acids is easy Disconnecting amino acids is easy 1) Hold the large flat bricks of the side chain. 2) Pull. Teacher shows how to correctly pull them apart. Copyright The LEGO Group and MIT All rights reserved 10

Make a prediction: Yes or No? Then the class tries it! Could millions of different proteins be made? Class Experiment #1 Each person should build a chain. 1) Connect any 4 amino acids together 2) Keep the amino end (black brick end) to the left. This rule helps keep them in order. 3) When asked, hold up your protein so everyone can see it. 4) How many people made the same protein? Compare #1 -2 -3 -4 1 Which amino acid is #1? The amino acid with the Free black end is #1! Protein chains always have two ends. No circles - please! Copyright The LEGO Group and MIT All rights reserved 11

Proteins? Most people think of food. …. Where can you find proteins? Watch Teacher Demo! Teacher eats, rebuilds muscle from the same amino acids. Copyright The LEGO Group and MIT All rights reserved 12

Team Building Task #1. Build this practice protein together. See page 13. Keep the black ends to the left. Show your teacher your folded chain! 13

One example of a correct fold. Why is this one correct? 14

We are going to build a LEGO channel protein next. See how the proteins work? 15

Here is a finished LEGO channel protein. 16

Listen for which chain your team should build. Is it an alpha or beta chain? 17

Follow the steps. 18

Think about it. Look at this photo. 19

Now the photo is correct. Why? The previous picture ( p 29) was incorrect! 20

The order of the amino acid is super important! 21

Reference slides for amino acids chemistry follow. 22

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