SBIR Phase I: A Toober-Based Molecular Modeling Kit: A New Tool for Teaching Molecular Literacy

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will develop a Molecular Modeling Kit that will be used by educators to introduce their students to concepts of molecular structure and function. This Modeling Kit will be based on the use of toobers, foam tubes with moldable wire that allows the tubes to hold their shape. One technical objective of this project is to further develop the foam fabrication technology to allow the production of a thin toober that will be suitable for this modeling kit. In addition, a minimal set of ancillary components of the modeling kit will be designed and prototyped. These components include (i) both an alpha helix and a beta sheet bending jig, (ii) a connector that will allow different colored toobers to be joined together, and (iii) cross-linking elements that will allow the final model to be stabilized. As the final objective of this project, curricular modules based on the use of this modeling kit will be developed and field-tested with teachers and students at the high school and undergraduate levels. The commercial application of this project will be in the education market. The modeling kit developed in this project will be marketed to educators at both the secondary and post-secondary levels.