Rethinking enzyme kinetics: Designing and developing a biomolecular interactive tutorial (BIOMINT) learning tool for undergraduate students

Abstract

Enzyme kinetics is the study of enzymatic catalytic rates in biochemical reactions. This topic is commonly taught to life science students in introductory biochemistry courses during their undergraduate education. Unlike most other biochemistry topics, which focus on visual structures of biomolecules and their processes, enzyme kinetics is explained primarily through abstract mathematical and two-dimensional graphical plots. However, these abstract/symbolic representations often make it difficult for students to relate the kinetic parameters to the underlying molecular system that is being described. In this article, we present the design and development of a web-based multimedia interactive learning tool, biomolecular interactive tutorials (BIOMINT) to help students better bridge the relationships between these abstract mathematical models and the molecular behaviors, interactions, and dynamics that produce kinetic phenomena. This learning tool can be accessed at https://bit.ly/biomint. © 2019 International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 48(1):74–79, 2020.