Jer Weann Ang, Brian Curtis, Dheeraj Varandani, Bill Glass, Paul Dye, Anthony Lanza, Jeremiah Wilt and Wesley Fisher

iEXCEL
University of Nebraska Medical Center
Omaha, Nebraska, USA

This animation shows the function of natural killer cells in targeting diseased cells in the body. Natural killer cells are one of the many types of white blood cells in the immune system. They have large cytoplasmic granules that contain cytotoxic proteins that can destroy pathogens and infected cells. These proteins create holes in the membrane of target cells, enabling the entry of granzymes into the cells that can cause cell death.

Purpose
This animation is designed for medical students in a cell biology class. The goal of the animation is to help students better understand the function of natural killer cells in targeting diseased cells in the body, highlighting the involvement of cytoplasmic granules in this process. It supplements content in a self-paced eLearning module on blood cells, aiming to enhance engagement by incorporating 3D animation instead of conventional 2D graphics in the module.

Equipment
Visual Molecular Dynamics, 3DSMax with Tyflow, ZBrush, Substance Painter & Designer, After Effects