Two students discussing the process of ATP hydrolysis (ATP + H2O ADP + Pi) make the following comments: Justin: “The O-P bond in ATP is called a ‘high-energy bond’ because the energy released when ATP is hydrolyzed is large. That released energy can be used to do useful things in the body that require energy, like making a muscle contract.” Kim: “I thought chemical bonds like the O-P bond in ATP could be modeled by a potential energy curve like this, where r is the distance between the O and the P. If that’s the case, then breaking the O-P bond in ATP would require me to input energy. I might not have to input much energy to break it, if that O-P happens to be a weak bond, but shouldn’t I have to input at least some energy?” How did Kim infer from the PE graph that breaking the O-P bond requires an input of energy? Who’s right? Or can you reconcile their statements? NEXUS/Physics: Rethinking Physics for Biology and Premed Students Edward F. Redish 1 , Chris Bauer 3 , Karen Carleton 1 , Todd, Cooke 1 , Melanie Cooper 4 , Catherin Crouch 5 , Benjamin W. Dreyfus 1 , Benjamin D. Geller 1 , Julia Gouvea 1,2 , John Gianini 1 , Mike Klymkowsky 6 , Wolfgang Losert 1 , Kim Moore 1 , Joelle Presson 1 , VashV Sawtelle 1 , Katrina Thompson 1 , Chandra Turpen 1 , Royce Zia 7 1 University of Maryland, College Park 2 University of California, Davis 3 University of New Hampshire 4 Michigan State University 5 Swarthmore University 6 University of Colorado 7 Virginia Tech A Team of Interdisciplinary Experts NEXUS/Physics: Using a Research & Design Approach to Build an Interdisciplinary Course References [1] NRC: Commi‘ee on Undergraduate Biology EducaVon to Prepare Research ScienVsts for the 21st Century, Bio 2010: Transforming Undergraduate Educa8on for Future Research Biologists (Natl Academy Pr, 2003). [2] Scien8fic Founda8ons for Future Physicians: Report of the AAMCHHMI Commi‘ee (AAMC/HHMI, 2009). [3] Watkins, Coffey, Redish, & Cooke, “Disciplinary AuthenVcity: Enriching the reform of introductory physics courses for life science students”, Phys. Rev. STPER, 8, 010112. [4] Meredith & Redish, ReinvenVng Physics for Life Science Majors, Physics Today 66 (2013) 38. [5] (authors of this poster) “NEXUS/Physics: An interdisciplinary repurposing of physics for biologists,” to be published in Am. J. Phys. (summer 2014) [6] Svoboda, Sawtelle, Geller, & Turpen, “A framework for analyzing interdisciplinary tasks: ImplicaVons for student learning and curricular design,” CBELSE 12 (2013) 187. [7] Moore, Gianini, & Losert, “Toward be‘er physics labs for future biologists,” to be published in Am. J. Phys. (summer 2014) [8] Dreyfus, Geller, Gouvea, Sawtelle, Turpen & Redish, “Chemical energy in an introductory course for the life sciences,” Am. J. Phys. (2014) in press Acknowledgments This work is supported by the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship (DGE 0750616), NSFTUES DUE 1122818, and the HHMI NEXUS grant. Many thanks to the University of Maryland Physics EducaVon Research Group (PERG) and Biology EducaVon Research Group (BERG). Contact: [email protected] Change of Topics from a TradiVonal Introductory Physics Class Goals for the Course An Examples of New Content: Understanding Chemical Bond Energy [8] Coherenceseeking between • Physics topics (“crossing chapters”) • Physics, biology, and chemistry • Physics and everyday knowledge (“feet on the ground”) MetarepresentaVonal competence • RepresentaVon translaVon • Choosing when to make representaVons • How representaVons display informaVon • Building mathemaVcal competence: Thinking with mathemaVcs Modeling • Being explicit about modeling and models • System schema • ExplicaVng the value of “toy models” • Redesign the physics for biologists course so that it has authenVc value for biology students – in both content and skill development [3][4][5] • PosiVon the course within the biology curriculum • Assume will be taken in the second year • Chem, Bio, and Calculus as prerequisites • InnovaVve content focused on the need to support student learning • View the development as an iteraVve process where research with student response to the curriculum informs what we do in the next iteraVon [6] • Maintain criVcal components – quanVficaVon, mathemaVcal modeling, mechanism, mulVple representaVons and coherence (among others) Development Team OffCampus Collaborators OnCampus Discussants • 7 Physicists • 4 Biologists • 3 Biology EducaVon Specialists • 3 Physicists • 4 Biologists • 2 Chemists • 3 EducaVon Specialists (Phys, Bio, Chem) • 7 Physicists • 1 Biologist • 2 Chemistry EducaVon Researchers Expand the treatment of thermodynamics Include atomic and molecular examples from the beginning Eliminate rotaVons, angular momentum and magneVsm Light Intro Waves Thermo Electricity Exam 1 Ex 2 Light How a Kinesin walks Membrane 1 Nernst equaVon Diatomic VibraVons IntroducVon to opVcs DNA SalVng Out What’s “free” about free energy? Membrane 2 Vision Pulses and SHO Fields and potenVals Capacitance in Nerve Cells DNA Shielding Enthalpy of simple molecules Evap. Membrane Polymer folding / EvoluVon Micro scope Modeling chromophores DNA and photons Biologylinked Group ProblemSolving Tasks Biology components of HW Assignments Macro KinemaLcs Math Energy Thermodynamics Dynamics Dynamics Exam 1 Exam 2 Scaling a Worm MoVon of a vesicle Exam Review Arteries / Speed of blood PIP2 Water coat force / DNA charge Wood pecker Exam Review Moving a Para mecium Blood and Breath Diffusion Muscle Contract / Thermal chemical Bound States / Deeper Well None Cat & Antelope Protein Unfolding Gas properVes & pressure Force Problems Microstates Temp. RegulaVon Energy Skate Park Biology components of HW Assignments Biologylinked Group ProblemSolving Tasks Semester 1 Semester 2 Include discussions of kineVc theory, diffusion, and randomness Responding to a Call for Change • Biology students are becoming a significant proporVon of the service load of a physics department – enough that we should provide a course that meets their needs. • Biologist are calling for [1][2] • Be‘er development of scienVfic competencies • More coherence among the disciplines • Project NEXUS – A mulVuniversity demonstraVon project created by HHMI to provide science courses for a biology major • Physics (UMCP) • Chemistry (Purdue) • Math for Bio (UMBC) • Capstone Synthesis (Miami U) New Laboratories [7] • Develop student research skills • Focus on Sensemaking • Focus on Experimental Design • Focus on the Value of QuanVficaVon • Convey a modern view of physics • Use modern equipment and tools • Foster interdisciplinary transfer • “What biology do you learn from a physical measurement?” For more info: hNp://nexusphysics.umd.edu The chemical reacVon of ATP hydrolysis is the primary source of energy in basic biological metabolic processes. Pusng in a small amount of energy allows one to break a phospate bond in ATP. That phosphate then bonds with the surrounding water, forming a strong bond and releasing usable energy. Biology students all know that “ATP is the currency of biological energy” but oten have a weak understanding of mechanism. Many think bonds “store” energy and release it when broken (“Piñata model”). We build the connecVon from basic physics concepts to help them understand chemical bonding and exothermic reacVons in a more effecVvely. Exam essay ques+on How Big is a Protein The DNA spring Electric forces: H bonding Electro phoresis Cell polarizaVon (diffusion) Fluid flow in arteries Exam Review Exam Review Moving through a cell /Listeria Random walk and entropy Photosyn thesis Spectroscopy Light/ma‘er interacVon Electric circuits Membrane model VibraVons Fourier construcVon of wave shapes