Connections to NCCSTS cases
Several cases in the collection of the National Center for Case Studies in Science Teaching can be extended or complemented by cases in the Case It collection. Case It includes simulations of lab techniques analyzing DNA or protein sequences related to the case. Students run the analysis, interpret the results and discuss the significance. The case scenarios prompt students to address ethical and social issues associated with the cases.
Examples of connections between the two collections are shown below:
Case It cases
|Genetics and Genetic Diseases|
|The Physiology of a Neurodegenerative Disease: Huntington’s Disease
Analysis of the symptoms, neuroanatomy and physiology, and treatment of HD
Genetic testing by PCR or Southern blot and associated ethical issues, sequence alignment to show triplet repeats
|“Not exactly..” The complexity of a human genetic disease
Genetics of Cystic fibrosis inheritance, implications for genetic counseling
Genetic testing for CF, using PCR, RFLP, and dot blot.
|PKU Carriers: How Many Are in Your Hometown?
Genetics of inheritance for phenylalanine hydroxylase mutation, Hardy-Weinberg principle
Genetic testing for PKU using PCR and dot blot
|Sickle Cell Anemia
Original description of the disease, properties of abnormal hemoglobin
|Sickle Cell Disease
Genetic testing for Sickle cell disease using Southern blot
|Living With Her Genes: Early Onset Familial Alzheimer’s Disease
Impact of genetic testing for mutated APP gene, pre-implantation genetic testing
Genetic testing using Southern blot and RFLP, associated ethical issues
|Can a genetic disease be cured?
Scientific and ethical issues associated with experimental treatment for muscular dystrophy
|Duchenne’s muscular dystrophy
Genetic testing for DMD using Southern blot to detect missing exons
|Pharmacogenetics: Using Genetics to Treat Disease
Exploring how inherited differences in TMPT, enzyme activity affect acute lymphocytic leukemia treatment, SNP analysis of TMPT variants
Identifying SNPs associated with resistance or susceptibility to warfarin
|Inherited cancer susceptibility|
Exploration of inherited susceptibility to colon cancer, based APC gene mutation; include sequence alignment and open reading frame analysis (NCBI tools), discussion of gene function
Based on same case scenario as NCCSTS case, adds Western blot to detect abnormal protein, genetic testing of family members by dot blot; sequence alignment and translation using MEGA software
|Genetic Testing and Breast Cancer: Is a Little Knowledge a Dangerous Thing?
Role playing with various perspectives on the issues
Testing for BRCA1 mutations by dot blot and associated ethical issues
Breast Cancer microarray
Using microarrays to determine expression of genes associated with aggressive cancer growth for prognosis and treatment decisions
Chickens and Humans and Pigs…Oh, my!
Comparison of human (H1N1) and avian (H5N1) influenza)
Decoding the flu
Gene structure and translation, using the influenza hemagglutinin (HA) gene
A Case Study Involving Influenza and the Influenza Vaccine
Characteristic of the disease, who should get vaccinated?
I don’t need a flu shot!
Flu vaccine development, comparison of 1918 and 2009 pandemics
Why Was the 1918 Influenza So Deadly?
Debate to explore competing hypotheses
Virus detection by ELISA and PCR, antibody detection by ELISA, sequence alignment to investigate virus evolution and drug resistance
Virus detection in humans and chickens by ELISA and PCR
Abracadabra: Magic Johnson and Anti-HIV Treatments
HIV multiplication cycle and drug treatments
Closing the Gap: Antiretroviral Therapy for the Developing World
Role playing activity with background information for several stakeholders working on a committee to address this issue
Retro Goes Modern: The Evolution and Evasive Maneuvers of HIV
Comparing SIV and HIV, HIV mutation rates, and implications for testing and treatment
Chimpanzee Droppings Lead Scientists to Evolutionary Discovery
Origins of HIV and virus evolution
Needles and Pins: A Case Study in the Management of Occupational Percutaneous Exposure
Evaluation of the risk of HIV infection
AIDS and the Duesberg Phenomenon
Evaluting the scientific argument that HIV causes AIDS
Several scenarios set in the U.S. and Africa with video case scenarios, HIV testing by ELISA and Western blot, viral load testing by PCR, and sequence alignment to investigate virus evolution, pathogenicity, and drug resistanceU.S. cases: Anna, Katrice, Laverne, Doug, Lisa, Jennifer, Marie
|Resistance is futile – or is it?
Mechanisms of resistance to HIV infection, discovery of CCR5 mutation, societal implications
SNP microarray analysis to determine genetic basis of resistance in Kenyan sex workers
|Super Bug: Antibiotics and Evolution
Mechanisms of antibiotic resistance in E. coli, focus on NDM-1 gene
|Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)
Detection of resistance genes in Staphylococcus aureus by PCR, community vs hospital-acquired MRSA
|Hidden in Plain Sight: Immune Evasion by Herpes Simplex-1 Virus
Investigating viral gene products involved in HSV latency
Using microarrays to identify early and late genes in virus multiplication
|The 1st new disease of the 21st century
Origin of 2003 SARS outbreak in China
|Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS)
Detection of SARS virus proteins by ELISA and PCR
|Bt corn cases
The Case of the Tainted Taco Shells
Scientific and economic issues associated with the Starlink Bt corn recall, sequence alignments, 3D protein structure, and antigenicity prediction using online tools, paper PCR activity
Do You Really Know What You’re Eating?
Role playing activity about the Starlink incident
Experimental Design and Statistical Analysis: Bt Corn, Lignin, and ANOVAs
Analysis of statistical data on lignin content in Bt corn
Detection of the Cry gene in corn DNA, using BLAST to identify variant