Education Corner

Building Machines in the Classroom

As a biochemistry educator, the concept of cell signaling has always captivated me. Visualizing the intricate communication pathways within cells at the molecular level is akin to observing a bustling courier service, with messengers, envoys, and runners navigating both extracellular and intracellular routes. From shuttles and boats ferrying cargo through the bloodstream to swimmers effortlessly crossing membranes, it's a marvel of coordination. Imagine mail collection boxes on cell surfaces, signal amplifiers and attenuators scattered throughout the intracellular environment, and the intricate interactions of molecular ambassadors as they traverse their paths, encountering both attractive and repulsive forces. Delving deeper into these signaling pathways, one finds a complexity reminiscent of a bustling traffic hub.

Being an enthusiast of online learning tools, I indulge my curiosity and passion by enrolling in courses and attending webinars. During one such session led by Professor Eric Lander, his comparison of signal transduction to a Rube Goldberg Machine struck a chord with me. Inspired by this analogy, I embarked on a project to create a Rube Goldberg Machine demonstrating cGMP signaling in a rod cell. Using a modeling sheet, I constructed slanting platforms onto which I affixed various elements symbolizing key components of the pathway. A marble represented a photon, triggering a cascade of events: dominoes symbolizing GPCR Rhodopsin, a toy car depicting the activation and movement of the alpha subunit of G-transducin, and so forth, culminating in the closure of cyclic nucleotide-gated cation channels and hyperpolarization in the rod cell.  View the Activation of rhodopsin protein on Instagram.

The success of this demonstration prompted me to challenge my students to represent their favorite pathways through Rube Goldberg Machines. From conception of the idea to implementation, the project took a whole semester/module of around 4 months.  Student responses to the project were very enthusiastic, with comments including “Today is the generation of AI so having a creative mindset and exploring the whereabouts of the topic would help a lot in tackling the upcoming situations and problems” and “It was a fun and innovative approach to learning a new concept and I would probably retain the topic much longer than if I studied using traditional textbooks”.  

Despite their limited experience in construction, they astounded me with their creativity and ingenuity, producing numerous impressive projects.  

A collection of videos of the students' work is available on YouTube.  

Suggestions for Bringing Machines to Your Classroom 

I firmly believe in making learning an enjoyable experience rather than a daunting task. Every session with my students is an opportunity to create lasting memories. That's why I dedicate considerable time to brainstorming and planning whenever I encounter a challenging concept to teach.

This project serves as just a beginning, a seed, brimming with potential to blossom into a compelling series of collaborations. It provides a fertile ground for young minds across various disciplines to converge, fostering the creation of true masterpieces.

Overall, our Rube Goldberg Project has garnered praise for its innovative and enjoyable approach to tackling complex subjects like cell signaling. Participants found it to be a refreshing departure from traditional learning methods, citing its interactive and hands-on nature as a key factor in their enjoyment and comprehension of the material. They lauded the project for its ability to foster creativity, teamwork, and problem-solving skills, noting that it provided a unique opportunity to integrate various branches of knowledge.

It can be easily replicated in other setups, where multidisciplinary teams are already collaborating. In our setup, we involved students from media sciences and engineering that were family members, because our institution could not support such collaboration. Youtube was also very valuable as a free and rich learning resource. We did not have any funding, so we had to manage the resources ourselves. With proper funding and networking we can take it to a higher level.

Bringing Machines to the 2024 ASBMB Meeting

When the opportunity arose to present my work at the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology's DiscoverBMB 2024 conference, I seized it. Not only was my abstract accepted, but I also received the undergraduate faculty travel award. 

While I initially incorporated a QR code into my poster to guide viewers to our project videos on YouTube, I still felt there was something lacking. I yearned for a more engaging experience, one that went beyond a static image. Thus, I embarked on a brainstorming session and arrived at a preliminary concept: integrating dynamic 3D effects directly into the poster itself. Achieving this required a multidisciplinary approach.

Collaborating with my niece Amena, a mechanical engineer, we devised a poster with moving 3D components illustrating the cAMP signaling cascade. We used foaming clay to depict the cell membrane, pipe cleaners and flexible craft wires for the static elements of the pathway and wheels to show the moving parts. We strategically embedded electrical components behind the poster to simulate the signaling process, resulting in a visually engaging  representation. Amena's expertise in programming facilitated the sequencing of events, enabling a dynamic demonstration of signal transduction.

The logistical challenge of transporting our creation from Pakistan to the USA required careful planning. I meticulously sewed the circuit onto cloth to prevent entanglement during travel, ensuring its safe arrival. 

One of my students, Mishal Khan, who had herself led a project on the MAP Kinase Pathway, accompanied me to the conference. Our poster garnered attention from both undergraduate students and faculty members alike, and it was met with a positive reception.

Watch a video of our poster at DiscoverBMB on YouTube.

Looking ahead, we aim to organize an intercollegiate competition showcasing Rube Goldberg Machines representing various cell signaling pathways. By forming multidisciplinary teams, we hope to foster collaboration and innovation in this exciting field.

PDB Structures of the Rube Goldberg Machine:
Turning Wheels, Connecting Cells

Name	Depiction in poster	PDB Image	PDB ID
G protein coupled receptor			8KGK
Gs heterotrimeric protein			8KGK G-alpha G-beta G-gamma
GTP/GDP exchange
Adenylyl Cyclase			7PDD
cAMP dependent protein kinase A			4DH1