Public awareness of virus structure and function is crucial in supporting health education and vaccine acceptance, enabling informed decisions about the role of vaccination and antivirals in the control of disease. This project aims to develop 3D educational models to communicate the mechanics of viral infection, the role of antibodies during infection and the potential for antiviral drugs to combat disease.

The initial prototype focused on poliomyelitis (commonly known as polio) as a model system of virus anatomy and behaviour. Using a ‘research through design’ approach, the microscopic mechanical features were translated into designs that demonstrate the multicomponent viral capsid and the changes that occur at the early stage of infection. Low-fidelity prototypes were created to evaluate function and suitability before digitally fabricating a testing prototype. A focus group of potential users evaluated the testing prototype and provided valuable feedback for the final iterations and fabrication of the design. The final prototype model will be evaluated during future public engagement activities.

This work contributes to educational tools seeking to combat vaccine hesitancy, identified by the World Health Organization as a top ten global health threat in 2019. Future work will focus on modelling the structure and function of epidemic coronaviruses to generate tools relevant to the most pressing issues in public health.