3D-Printed Antibody/Antigen Kits
We have developed an open-source teaching tool to help students visualize the structural features of an antibody and the specificity of antibody-antigen interactions using 3D-printing.
Accompanying learning activities aim to help students understand how vaccines elicit protection against pathogens at an individual and population level.
Each student is provided with:
- base antibody
- three model pathogens?
- three sets of variable domains, which can be interlocked and exchanged into the base antibody.
Learning Activities
Activity #1: Illustrates the structure and specificity of antibody binding, helps students understand that each individual has a different antibody repertoire, and discusses the role of antibodies in targeting pathogens.
Activity #2 (for a classroom): Models herd immunity and how infections spread through a community depending on vaccination rates.
Exploring Antibody Isotypes
A modified kit for more advanced students is now available that includes interchangeable Fc regions representing the five mammalian immunoglobulin isotypes. These features allow for more detailed discussion of antibody structure, avidity vs. affinity, and the effector functions of the antibody classes.
Interested in using the kits in your classroom?
Acknowledgments
Current coordinators: Sarah Ohashi, Lindsey Hughes, Matthew Spencer
3D-printed objects designed by: Jennifer Wang, Sarah Ohashi, Matthew Spencer, Andrew Woosnam
Teaching manual and workshop content developed by: Sarah Ohashi, Jennifer Wang, Lindsey Hughes, Matthew Spencer, Sasha Tabachnikova, and Sofia Velazquez.
Additional thanks to Noah Biru, Jeff Chen, Kelli Connolly, and Paula Kavathas for their contributions to the conception and implementation of these activities.
Special thanks to the Yale Center for Engineering, Innovation, & Design.