School Portal for EzMol and BioBlox

In the Sternberg lab at Imperial College London, our research is focused on predicting the structure of macromolecules, specifically proteins. This field is integral to biotechnology, the pharmaceutical industry and numerous areas of academia. We have been lucky enough to have the opportunity to develop two educational tools to help convey the importance and complexity of structural biology to the next generation of scientists.

First, we have developed EzMol. This is a simple to use molecular viewer that allows you to create high quality images of proteins, DNA and RNA. EzMol is perfect for projects such as the EPQ! Our Schools Portal contains multiple worksheets which are designed for use in the classroom. Try out EzMol

We are also developing BioBlox2D. This is a Tetris-style game in which users must match the shape and charge of the falling molecules to the receptor at the bottom. This game is a lot of fun to play and deceptively challenging! BioBlox2D also includes a multiple choice quiz about proteins based on GCSE and A-level curricula. This makes BioBlox2D a great revision tool for GCSE and A-level biology students. We are just polishing off the quiz functionality and, once we have done this, BioBlox2D will be available shortly on the App Store and the Google Play Store (for free!). We are also working on an exciting Premium version that provides questions covering the entire curriculum and allows users to create their own custom quizzes!