Click here to download the model.
We are going to be real scientists to figure out if bacteria can make smart decisions. We are going to use a computational model to perform our research investigations.
Let’s get to know the model first!
Components of the model:
How to run the model:
- Click ‘SETUP’ to set the initial state for the bacterial cell.
This step is to setup the initial positions of the violet and brown proteins inside the cell. If you click ‘SETUP’ again, the positions of the violet and brown proteins change, whereas the position of the DNA stays the same.
- Click ‘Go’ to run the model.
This model is a computational simulation of the external and internal environments of a bacterial cell. When you click ‘Go’, you can see the protein molecules move around inside the cell. They do not go outside of the cell. Some of them interact with DNA. Observe their interactions with the DNA. DNA and proteins are molecular machines. Smart decisions that cells make are because of interactions between genes and proteins.
- Sugar control:
We are going to investigate how bacteria cells smartly make decisions to eat different sugars. In their natural environments, bacteria use different food sources to produce energy. They need energy to survive and reproduce. If they don’t get enough energy they die.
In our experiments, we can control which sugar is available to bacteria by turning ON or OFF the following switches:
Glucose and lactose are two different types of sugars. Using these switches, we can have different combinations of these two sugars available to bacteria.
For example, keeping these two switches ON means both these sugars are available to bacteria.
- Genetic Control:
We have several sliders available to control the genetic properties of the bacterial cell.
We will investigate what each of these sliders do during the course of our investigation.
Use the RESET button to set the values to default.
Molecular biologists and synthetic biologists, which are special types of scientists, make such changes in real cells. We will make these changes to our computational cell!
