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StarCellBio

StarCellBio is a free educational digital learning tool that allows students to perform virtual cell and molecular biology experiments. StarCellBio was developed at MIT by Biology faculty, educational researchers, and programmers and was designed specifically to work across platforms in a Google Chrome web browser. The goal of StarCellBio is to enhance student understanding of cell and molecular biology experimental techniques by providing students with the opportunity to design, conduct, and analyze their own simulated experiments using 3 classic cell and molecular biology experimental techniques: western blotting, flow cytometry, and microscopy. StarCellBio is designed for implementation in either lecture- or laboratory-based undergraduate cell and molecular biology courses.

Using StarCellBio

  • To get started, navigate to starcellbio.mit.edu in a Google Chrome web browser.
  • Click 'Try an Experiment' on the right side of the homepage to try StarCellBio as a guest or click 'Create Student Account' to setup your own student account.

Features

StarCellBio contains the following key features:

  • Experimental design page for students to reflect upon an experiment's goals and hypothesis as well as the experiment's best suited experimental techniques.
  • Experiment setup page for students to select the necessary strains, treatments, and experimental conditions for their experiments.
  • 3 classic cell and molecular biology experimental techniques: western blotting, flow cytometry, and microscopy.
  • Realistic simulated data for western blotting and flow cytometry experimental techniques and the display of real microscopy images in the microscopy experimental technique.
  • Student accounts for students to securely access StarCellBio assignments and save their work between work sessions.
In addition, StarCellBio contains the following resources:
  • Exercises that cover key cell and molecular biology concepts such as protein expression levels, subcellular protein localization, transmembrane protein orientation, and signaling transduction.
  • 7 animations on the experimental techniques and concepts relevant to StarCellBio and a video highlighting how a western blotting experiment is performed in a real laboratory environment.
  • 4 video tutorials on how to navigate and use the tool.
  • Reference library to enhance student understanding of the biological principles contained within the program.
  • User manual that contains information on how to use StarCellBio.
  • Contact us link to send the StarCellBio development team questions, comments, bug alerts, or feature requests.