Visualizing Bacterial Gene Regulation with an Interactive Computer Program: The Trp Operon

Abstract

The paper describes an interactive computer program for visualizing bacterial gene regulation: the trp operon. The computer program was implemented based on our recently developed Gene Act framework. The advantages of this computer framework are 1) accelerating the development process and 2) simplifying the program development for researchers who wish to pack and distribute their work with interactive programs. The Gene Act frame work has been successfully used as a tutorial tool for learning the lac operon, the classical example of gene regulation in bacteria. The trp operon described here is as second example for such an application. Unlike the lac operon, which controls the breakdown of the sugar lactose, the trp operon is responsible for the synthesis of the amino acid tryptophan. As it is often challenging for beginners to understand the control mechanisms of the trp operon, especially the attenuation system, we hope that this interactive computer program may facilitate and improve learning by illustrating the process with rich text, images, animations, and interactive steps.