Toward AR Visualization of the Fluid-Mosaic Model of the Cell Membrane

Background: During the first semester of biochemistry experience, students focus on learning the structure and function of biomolecules: carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids. Visualizing these structures and understanding interactions between molecules helps students better understand biological function. A variety 3D visualization tools are available, ex. PyMol, Chimera, Avogadro, Blender. Within the past decade, Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) applications gained more popularity. VR with its immersive visual experience is more sought-after, but the higher cost and the need for headset creates limitations in the classroom. AR visualizations are cheaper and more accessible, several publications report successful implementation in the biology and biochemistry classroom. Feedback from students shows deeper understanding, increased motivation and more effective learning. The challenge is that often lack of time and resources combined with limited coding experience can hinder such endeavors. Purpose: The goal of the project was creating an Augmented Reality (AR) rendering of biomolecules. First, several different membrane lipid molecules, cholesterol, and protein were moved from MolView and the Protein Databank (RCSB) using SketchUp and Blender to position, scale and orient the molecules. Then, the molecules were coded in Unity3D to further adjust the position, scaling and orientation relative to each other. Rotational and translational movements were added. Finally, the molecules were all brought together to create a concerted movement depicting the fluid mosaic model of the cell membrane. Vuforia Engine, a Unity Asset Package has been loaded and imported into the project. The New Media Lab provided the target and the iPad tablet to test out the final Augmented Reality (AR) rendering of the lipid membrane. The poster presents scenes and describes animations created along the way, used to provide viewers with an overview on how the project was assembled.