Amino Acid Starter Kit for 3 Groups
Grades 9-12.
Amino Acid Starter Kit is an engaging, hands-on protein folding kit that makes teaching protein structure basics easy. Students will fold a protein while exploring how the chemical properties of amino acids determine its final structure. Use the Amino Acid Starter Kit to:
- Learn that the 20 amino acids all share a common backbone but have different side chains, each with different chemical properties
- Identify the chemical properties of the side chains through a dual coloring scheme guided by the kit's chemical properties circle, amino acid side chain list, and colored plastic clips
- Group the side chains into 1 of 5 categories: hydrophobic (nonpolar), hydrophilic (polar), negatively charged, positively charged, and cysteines, which sometimes form disulfide bonds. The control clip at the base of each side chain indicates chemical properties while embedded colored balls in the amino acid side chain model show atomic structure.
Employ the kit's protein-folding activities to first explore the primary and tertiary structure of proteins by constructing a generic 15-amino acid protein, then learn about the secondary structure of proteins by folding a toober model of the first of 3 zinc fingers of the Zif268 protein.
Kit Contents
- 3 chemical properties circles
- 3 amino acid side chain charts
- 3 mini toobers (4 ft. each)
- 3 sets of red and blue endcaps
- 66 clear bumpers
- 66 amino acid side chains
- 66 plastic clips
- 18 hydrogen bond connectors
Specifications
- Grades 9 and up
- For 3 groups
NOTE: Only available in the U.S.
WARNING: Choking Hazard. Small Parts. Not for children under 3 yrs.