This is the third year Edgewood is participating in the SMART (Students Modeling A Research Topic) Team program where students learn what active research scientists investigate in their labs. Along the way, students learn hands-on molecular modeling to better understand biochemistry and what happens when diseases occur.

"It tries to show students what research science is like," said Edgewood Campus School teacher Dan Toomey. "Science is not a collection of facts."

Toomey's three eighth-grade science classes are participating in the program, which was integrated into his classroom after he first ran it as an after-school program.

For one activity this year, the students created a three-dimensional model of amino acids to learn how they interact.

"It's a lot easier than, like, seeing a picture," said eighth-grader Anna Heffernan.

The students start out with a simpler topic — this year they learned about the protein collagen from Toomey — to get a better understanding of some of the basics of biochemistry. Then they get more in depth traditionally with something that's in the news by working with a scientist/mentor who is researching the topic.

Past activities have focused on E. coli, the structure of hemoglobin and sickle cell anemia.

"I like learning about kind of how everything works … . It's amazing that humans exist the way they do," said eighth-grader Marcella Prince. "It's really fun to be able to understand science that is going on right now."

Jeff Johnson, professor of pharmacy at UW-Madison, is the scientist/mentor working with Edgewood this year. He is conducting research on ALS, Parkinson's, Huntington's and Alzheimer's diseases. His daughter, Emma, is part of the program this year, and another daughter, Taylor, went through the program two years ago.

Johnson will work with the students on how two proteins — Nrf2 and Keap1 — interact. The students also will look at their potential role in the context of diseases and how they may help slow down disease progression.

"If they can just grasp the philosophical concepts behind the science, then they win," said Johnson, who will have the students visit his lab.

The SMART Team program started eight years ago as a partnership between the Milwaukee School of Engineering and UW-Madison. Now there are about six locations throughout the country.

Each Monday the State Journal will feature a story about learning in southern Wisconsin. Send ideas for stories to Beth Williams at bwilliams@madison.com or call 608-252-6130.