CREST (Connecting Researchers, Educators and Students) is an ongoing NSF-funded program engaging undergraduates in the community of science through physical modeling* of proteins.

The goal of the CREST project is to expand the use of physical modeling as a proven approach that encourages the wider adoption of student-centered, active learning pedagogies by undergraduate faculty leading to the improvement of undergraduate science education.

* Physical Modeling, as used in CREST, refers to the process whereby a small group of students create a physical model of a protein (based on its atomic coordinates) using 3D printing technologies.

The model is designed with features (selected amino acid sidechains, substrates, coloring schemes, etc.) that highlight the story of a research project involving the protein. The model becomes a tangible, conceptual model of one aspect of a more elaborate mental model created by researchers who work to understand a molecular process.