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Biology In Motion
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Developing animations of biological processes for education
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David Hunt's Dendritic Cell on a black background
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The theory behind the animation…
Models allow humans to visualize information and are "particularly valuable mental tools, because in
simplifying the complexities of the real world, they enable us to concentrate our attention on those
aspects of it that are of greatest interest or significance."1 They are especially important in the
biological sciences for the comprehension of entities and events that are difficult to see, and because
biology as a field is complex and wide ranging. Biological phenomena at the molecular level occur on
scales, both temporal and spatial, that are difficult for the mind to comprehend. Direct observation
is largely impossible, given existing technology, so we build mental models and visualizations, in much
the same way that astronomers construct
models of stellar events, the details of which can be observed
only indirectly. CSI applies these principles to biology education through the development of rich
multimedia visualizations and modeling tools.
What we've done so far…
In 2001 the CSI Education working group began development of animations and illustrations to explain
the growth of melanoma, a type of skin
cancer, and the use of dendritic cells to
fight cancer. The group combined the talents of artists (3D animator David Hunt, graphic artist
Delle Maxwell, UW lecturer in animation
Barbara Mones-Hattal)
and scientists (B. Robert Franza, CSI, Eric Butz and David Fitzpatrick of Immunex) to
produce a highly innovative and engaging set of reusable visualizations.
Dr. Thomas Curran, then head of the American Association for Cancer Research used the
finished presentation
in his keynote address at the AACR 92nd annual meeting.
To get an idea of the process, you can follow the artists' work from
storyboards, to sketches, to animations.
1 Feurzeig, W.and N.Roberts.eds. Modeling and
Simulation in Science and Mathematics Education. Springer-Verlag: New York, 1999.
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