The Use of Stereolithography and Computer Graphics to Develop Three-Dimensional Tactile Models for Use by Blind and Visually Impaired Scientists

Professor Carol A. Venanzi and Dr. William J. Skawinski are supported by a grant from the Theoretical and Computational Chemistry Program to: 1) perform theoretical chemical studies of amiloride analogs in an effort to understand their efficacy as sodium channel blockers in epithelial cells, and 2) to develop the use of stereolithography in conjunction with computer graphics as a three-dimensional tactile modeling technique for visually impaired scientists. %%% Drs. Venanzi and Skawinski will use theoretical calculations of molecular electrostatic potential maps to explain experimental data on the binding constants for chemical analogs of the compound amiloride which is a known diuretic drug and a potent sodium channel blocker. Their working hypothesis is that the long-range electrostatic interactions orient and direct the amiloride molecule into the channel binding site which must be complementary to amiloride in both molecular shape and molecular electrostatic potential. As part of this research they will also exploit a technique known as stereolithography to translate 3-D computer generated images into tactile models so that Dr. Skawinski, a visually impaired theoretical chemist, can perceive the molecular shapes of the active species and actively participate in the research.