Bryan Buchs

Senior Web Developer & Accessibility Specialist

Biomolecules on the Menu

https://media.hhmi.org/biointeractive/click/biomolecules/

I helped develop “Biomolecules on the Menu”, an immersive educational Vue single-page application that takes students on a journey through the human digestive system. This interactive experience explains the complex connections between food, digestion, metabolism, and cellular respiration in an engaging, visual way. Working with HHMI BioInteractive’s science education team, I transformed complex biological concepts into an intuitive digital experience that progressively zooms in from whole-body systems to cellular processes.

Screenshot of an educational webpage titled 'Biomolecules on the Menu'. The page features a hamburger logo in the top left corner and a hamburger menu icon in the top right. The main content displays a human body outline with visible circulatory system in red and blue, and a small sandwich illustration to the left. Text overlaid on the body diagram reads: 'Biomolecules on the Menu. You need food to build your cells and fuel your activities. How does the food you eat provide the energy you need?' Below this is an orange button reading 'Take a bite and find out!'. At the bottom of the page is a footer with 'Supporting Information' text and logos for 'hhmi' and 'BioInteractive'.
Landing page

I built the entire experience with Vue.js, creating rich SVG-based visualizations animated with the GSAP library to bring biological processes to life. These smooth, responsive animations help students visualize abstract concepts like nutrient absorption and ATP production. By optimizing performance and maintaining accessibility standards, I delivered an interactive learning tool that makes complex science approachable and engaging for students across different devices commonly found in classroom settings.

Animated diagram of digestive system
Animated diagram of digestive system
metabolic processes diagram
Interactive clickable diagram of metabolic processes

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