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:
NCCSTS cases |
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 |
Huntington’s disease 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 |
Cystic fibrosis 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 |
Phenylketonuria 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 |
Alzheimer’s disease 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 |
Pharmacogenomics Identifying SNPs associated with resistance or susceptibility to warfarin |
| Inherited cancer susceptibility | |
| Colon Cancer 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 |
Colon Cancer 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 |
Breast cancer 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 |
| Infectious diseases | |
| Influenza cases 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 |
Human influenza Virus detection by ELISA and PCR, antibody detection by ELISA, sequence alignment to investigate virus evolution and drug resistance Avian influenza Virus detection in humans and chickens by ELISA and PCR |
| HIV cases 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 |
HIV cases 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 African cases: Nicole, Auxilia, Marie, Tendayi, Safari
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| Resistance is futile – or is it? Mechanisms of resistance to HIV infection, discovery of CCR5 mutation, societal implications |
HIV resistance 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 |
HSV Multiplication 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 |
| Plant biology | |
| 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 |
Bt corn Detection of the Cry gene in corn DNA, using BLAST to identify variant |
