1. Empowering Teachers Through Modeling
Your Modeling Project!

2. Background Information
Robert Guthrie, M.D., Ph.D.
1947 son John born disabled
Became interested in the causes and prevention of mental retardation
Son’s disability was never diagnosed
month-old niece diagnosed with phenylketonuria

3. Background Information
Dr. Guthrie:
Pioneered the collection of whole blood on specially designed filter paper
Developed first newborn screening test in the United States to detect phenylketonuria (1960)

4. Phenylketonuria What are the symptoms? Stunted or slow growth
Severe intellectual and developmental disabilities
Musty odor in urine, breath or skin
Fair skin due to body’s failure to transform phenylalanine into melanin
Seizures
Behavioral or social problems

5. The Faces of Phenylketonuria

6. Reaching across the aisle
The Connection of Science and Pearl S. Buck
Author of The Good Earth
Pulitzer Prize winner (1932)
First American Woman to win the
Nobel Prize in Literature (1938)
Daughter with undiagnosed PKU

7. Links to English Language ARTS/Literacy
WHST : Write informative/explanatory texts, including the narration of historical events, scientific procedures/experiments, or technical processes.
WHST : Gather relevant information from multiple authoritative print and digital sources, using advanced searches effectively; assess the strengths and limitations of each source in terms of the specific task, purpose, and audience; integrate information into the text selectively to maintain the flow of ideas, avoiding plagiarism and overreliance on any one source and following a standard format for citation

8. Links to English Language ARTS/Literacy
RST : Translate quantitative or technical information expressed in words in a text into visual form (e.g., a table or chart) and translate information expressed visually or mathematically (e.g., in an equation) into words.
RST : Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of science and technical texts, attending to important distinctions the author makes and to any gaps or inconsistencies in the account

9. Now it’s your turn! What is your “hook”? What is the cause of PKU?
Design your PAH model (pdb.1J8U)
The model should tell the structure/function molecular story.
Prepare your model description sheet.