How Many SMART Teams Can I Work With?

Create a SMART Team with your students this year. In SMART Teams, students study a protein, learn its structure and function, and then demonstrate their understanding by designing an accurate 3D-printed model of the protein. Depending on the number of students who are interested in starting a SMART Team, you may need to start more than one team. SMART Teams can range from any number of students, from small 3-person teams to larger 25-person teams. Work with your students to determine a good team size or divide students into multiple teams. 

To register more than one SMART Team, visit our website and select “Additional Model” for every team you’re working with to ensure each team receives a model. Please note that you must register one team to receive access to the SMART Team resources. 

Start your SMART Teams today! If you have any questions on SMART Teams, please reach out to our SMART Team Coordinator, Mark "Arnie" Arnholt.

Join us for a Tim Talk in Kansas City!

We can't wait to model with you at the NSTA Conference in Kansas City next month. Visit us at Booth #2023 to get hands-on with our kits and join us for three days of collaborative sessions with educators passionate about modeling. We're hosting more than 10 sessions throughout the conference, making it the perfect time for you to explore the molecular world through modeling! Session topics include: 

• Dynamic DNA: More Than Just A's, T's, C's, and G's
• It's All in the Genes - Exploring Mendelian and Non-Mendelian Inheritance through Modeling
• Enhancing Molecular Models with Augmented Reality (AR)
• The Science of Infectious Diseases
• Plus, many more! 

Click here to view all our session topics and our full fall conference schedule. Happy Modeling! 

Science Spotlight

Christina Termini, PhD, MM, is an Assistant Professor at the Translational Science and Therapeutics Division of the Fred Hutch Cancer Center. Her research focuses on the fundamental processes coordinating hematopoietic stem cell function during homeostasis, stress, and disease. This research aims to help patients with hematological malignancies and immune disorders to develop novel cancer therapies. Listen to this podcast, where Dr. Termini discusses her research and role in expanding LatinX representation in STEM.

Enzyme Exploration in the Classroom

Take your students beyond the simple lock-and-key concept of enzyme action with the dynamic, multifunctional Enzymes in Action© Kit. These colorful foam pieces with intuitive shapes let your students experience enzymes in action before they even know any vocabulary! Collaboration and discourse naturally occur between learners as they discover the specificity of substrate binding, how enzymes catalyze either catabolic or anabolic reactions, and the effect of various inhibitors on enzyme action.