Abstract 2138 Building three dimensional molecules and docking them in the Virtual Reality App Nanome

Students are routinely asked to understand the three-dimensional nature of macromolecules and their interactions. However, the resources provided for this learning typically include two dimensional images on screens. Building simple molecules with physical models is an effective way to learn about three dimensional concepts such as chirality but these physical models are often limited in their scope and do not easily allow for docking into more complex proteins. We trained students to use the virtual reality app Nanome along with the Meta Quest headsets to build and dock molecules in three dimensions (3D). Nanome is a virtual reality program developed for pharmaceutical companies for collaborative drug design. Using our custom instructions, students were guided to build a chiral amino acid by connecting elements. Afterwards, students downloaded the amino acid enantiomer to compare them by grabbing and rotating them around in 3D. Using hand controllers, they measured angles and distances within the structures. In addition, they downloaded the structure of the enzyme dihydrate folate reductase, used the integrated docking program SMINA to dock the chemotherapeutic methotrexate into the protein's active site, and examined the three different poses generated. Overall, we suggest that the hands-on nature of Nanome allows students to build an intuitive understanding of macromolecule stereochemistry. Although it has a learning curve, Nanome offers a more three-dimensional rendering of the molecules than computer screens and is more versatile than physical models. NSF grant - Improving Undergraduate STEM Education (IUSE) (Conferences and Workshops): Training STEM educators on the use of virtual reality for teaching biomolecular visualization.