BIOCH VR: Aplicativo de Realidade Virtual para o Ensino de Biomoléculas - Aminoácidos e Proteínas

Resumo

This study presents the development of an educational virtual reality application aimed at teaching biomolecules. The application comprises three interactive 3D environments: the first is dedicated to the visualization of the 20 main amino acids in different representations (ball-andstick, line, and space-filling), accompanied by audio and informational panels in Portuguese, Spanish, and English. The second environment features five biologically relevant peptides, while the third showcases six key proteins. The project was developed using the Unreal Engine 5.4 platform, with molecular structures obtained from the Protein Data Bank (RCSB PDB) and edited using Autodesk 3ds Max software. The proposed solution seeks to enhance the visualization and understanding of complex molecular structures by leveraging the pedagogical potential of virtual reality in biochemistry education. The results indicate high acceptance and strong educational potential for the use of virtual reality in teaching structural biochemistry. The lack of prior familiarity with the technology did not compromise the experience, although it did present occasional navigation challenges. The implementation of immersive resources may represent an effective strategy for improving molecular visualization and student engagement.