JoinAll Case Studies
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In keyword search, list the criteria you would like to find cases. Multiple criteria can be listed separated by commas (i.e. directed, high school)
Educational levels are defined as follows: Elementary, Middle, High School, College
Types of cases are defined as follows: Analysis/Issues, Clicker, Debate, Intimate Debate, Demonstration, Dilemma/Decision, Directed, Discussion, Interrupted, Jig-saw, Journal Article, Laboratory, Student Presentations, Mini-case, Problem-Based Learning, Public Hearing, Role-Play, Trial, Flipped, Game
By Annie Prud’homme-Genereux
This flipped case study examines the selective pressures that have affected the evolution of diverse human skin pigmentations. To prepare for the case, students begin by watching videos and doing research on their own. In class, students use the info...
By Janet A. De Souza-Hart, Joseph DeMasi
The steps involved in transcription and translation can be difficult for students to comprehend. Relating popular culture references (such as song titles) to protein sequences can help students understand the conversion of DNA and RNA information to ...
Know Your Enemy, Know Yourself
By Kelsie M. Bernot, Telah A. Wingate, Kiara D. Whitaker
This case study relates the actual experiences of a woman with breast cancer as she shares her experiences through a series of blog posts at various stages of treatment (diagnosis, mastectomy, chemotherapy, targeted therapy, and maintenance)....
By Maria P. Chadiarakou, Anitha Sundararajan, Ingrid E. Lindquist, Gabriella A. DeFrancesco, Madeline Kwicklis, Drew A. Lighthall, Natasha E. Farmer, Michèle I. Shuster, Joann Mudge
DNA sequencing and analysis (bioinformatics) is an increasingly important tool for understanding biological data, including medical data. In this case study, students will be exposed to DNA sequencing to quickly identify how an outbreak of methicilli...
By Fred B. Schnee, Janine M. Idziak
This case study presents the mock trial of "Martin Miller." There is no question that Martin killed his girlfriend; he admitted to stabbing her in a violent rage. But what is the degree of his responsibility? By virtue of Martin having the MAOA-L gen...
The Potential Perils of Pauline
By George E. Keller
This directed case study follows the story of “Pauline,” a 20-year-old college student who has just received results from a personal genetic testing kit she purchased online. The report shows a negative result for variants of the BRCA 1 and 2 gen...
Animals Can Run Away, but Plants Must Stay
By Nicole D. Tunbridge, Carol Pollock, Joan Sharp
In this PowerPoint-driven case study, students consider the many challenges faced by plants and discuss which of these might induce a morphological response. Examples of phenotypic variation within a plant species are presented and students discuss i...
No Matter If You’re Black or White
By Srikripa Chandrasekaran, Linda Niedziela
Human populations have adapted to varying intensities of sunlight with varying tones of skin coloration. The balanced interplay between melanin content and UV absorption allowed populations to successfully migrate from sub-Saharan Africa by influenci...
By Michèle I. Shuster
This case study synthesizes students' knowledge of the central dogma and cell structure by examining a rare health disorder in order to understand protein targeting and its medical consequences. Students first identify the molecular alteration in aff...
The Evolving Genetics of Disease Resistance
By Jennifer M. Dechaine
This interrupted case study for the flipped classroom applies evolutionary genetics research to human health. Students learn about a naturally occurring, but rare, allele of the CCR5 gene, CCR5-Δ32, which provides resistance to HIV. They use data fr...
By Rivka L. Glaser, Erin L. Zimmer
This directed case study was developed in order to present genomic data to students, allow them to interpret the impact of genetic variations on phenotype, and to explore precision medicine. Students are introduced to "Josie," a college sophomore who...
By Ann T.S. Taylor
The protagonist of this two-day flipped case study, “Maria,” has two problems. She doesn’t like it when the apple slices in her lunch turn brown, and she needs to find a project for her biology class that includes molecular biology, preferably ...
By Anne G. Rosenwald
This case study describes a visit by "Naomi" to her physician, who upon seeing Naomi's bloodwork decides to prescribe her a cholesterol-lowering agent, a statin....
By Kathleen A. Nolan, Allen J. Burdowski
This PowerPoint-driven, flipped case study begins with a short video about a woman suffering from cystic fibrosis (CF) in the 1970s, a friend of the lead author's, whom she met in college and who died in her twenties....
The Case of the Malfunctioning Neuron
By Kirsten L. Hokeness
This flipped case study tells the story of Joyce, a biology student who notices the development of some unusual symptoms (foot slapping and slurred speech) in her mother. In an effort to understand the cause, Joyce views a documentary-style trigger v...
By Justin A. Pruneski
This flipped case study begins with a video in which a student reveals a family member's diagnosis with breast cancer and then considers the whirlwind of questions that arise in such a situation. Students are asked to relate to the main character and...
By Joan-Beth Gow, Lisa A. Carpino
This case study introduces Megi, an active teenager who has recovered from anorexia nervosa. The method of progressive disclosure is used to take students back in time as Megi recalls the physical and psychological aspects of her illness and th...
By Grace A. Farber, Amy T. Hark
This directed case study was developed to introduce students to the CRISPR-Cas9 system for genome editing. CRISPR-Cas9 has made numerous headlines in both the scientific and popular press, and thus serves as an excellent model for learning current bi...
By Khadijah I. Makky, Audra A. Kramer
This interrupted case is based on a genome wide association study (GWAS) that identified the genetic variation causing some inhabitants of the Solomon Islands to have blond hair. The case illustrates the connection between genotype and phenotype, and...
Why Did the Snake Cross the Road?
By Milton T. Drott, Mark A. Sarvary
Although Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium is a fundamental part of introductory biology classes, students often have difficulty understanding its implications. This interrupted case study places students in the role of small teams who are conducting prelim...
By Brynn F. Welch, Christine M. Fleet
This case study is centered on a real scenario from 2013 in which the Kickstarter fundraising platform included a fundraising proposal from a group wanting to use synthetic biology to make glowing plants. The proposal raised controversy because the G...
By Nadia Sellami, Julie A. Morris, Sheela Vemu
Lactose intolerance, caused by a lack of persistent lactase enzyme expression, is a trait commonly observed in adult humans, with varying geographic prevalence depending on dietary habits in different cultures. This case study follows a diverse group...
By Kendra S. Mell, Breanna N. Harris
In this directed case study students follow a nurse practitioner and work with a diagnostics team to determine what is wrong with Tristan, an infant who comes to the clinic with multiple bruises. Students are given background and patient history, and...
Why Is He Different from Both Parents?
By Jun Liang, William J. Rice
This case study was developed to teach the topic of human ABO blood type and genetic inheritance in biology courses at the lower undergraduate level or upper high school level. It is suitable for entry level biology, genetics, and physiology courses....
By Kristen H. Short
This clicker case study follows a dialogue between two college students, Lucy and Dan, as they discover how alternative splicing of mRNA molecules can allow a single gene to code for multiple proteins. Dan is participating in a clinical trial for a d...
By Ann T.S. Taylor
Taylor must write a report about a natural toxin while she is home from college on break. After a family dinner conversation about the latest attempt to poison a politician via a letter, Taylor decides to explore how ricin acts as a poison....
By Dongfang Wang
In this flipped case study, students use the scientific method to investigate how changes in a few genes have shaped the evolution of maize plant architecture during domestication. To prepare for the case, students first watch a video developed by HH...
Evolution and Plasticity in Guppies
By E. Dale Broder, Corey A. Handelsman, Cameron K. Ghalambor, Lisa M. Angeloni
This case study focuses on the relationship between evolution and plasticity using a hands-on, inquiry-based approach. Students view examples from the literature that illustrate the difference between nature and nurture, or the relative contributions...
By Cheryld L. Emmons
This interrupted case study examines molecular genetic evidence reported in scientific literature to determine the fate of Louis-Charles, son of Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette of France. Controversy and rumors surrounding the death of Louis-Charles s...
Genetics and a Transcontinental Romance
By Pamela Kalas
Annika is a PhD student from Sweden who spends two years in the Solomon Islands to complete her fieldwork. During her stay in the South Pacific she experiences a few surprises related to the hair color not only of the locals, but also of her own baby...
By Merle K. Heidemann (rr), Peter J.T. White, James J. Smith
This case study is based on Dr. Richard Lenski’s ongoing studies of evolution in E. coli. Students are introduced to prokaryotic biology and to Lenski’s studies based on serial broth cultures of E. coli, which have been monitored for genotypic an...
One Tablet a Day May Keep Cancer Away
By Adam J. Kleinschmit
This dilemma/decision case study is intended to demonstrate how knowledge of signal transduction pathways can be applied to the pharmaceutical industry and within a medical setting. The case scenario revolves around a physician scientist's analysis o...
By Kevin M. Bonney
This case study provides an overview of the seminal experimental work that led to the discovery of DNA structure and the confirmation of the semi-conservative model of DNA replication. By guiding students through a chronological series of historic ex...
Which Came First, the Mutation or the Antibiotic?
By Suzanne M. Deschênes, Rosemary M. Danaher, Hema Gopalakrishnan
This case study presents the story of Phil, an undergraduate majoring in biology, whose Russian cousin Dimitri has contracted tuberculosis (TB) from inmates at the prison where he works. Phil learns that his cousin's failure to complete his ant...
By Tracie Y. Hudson
This case study introduces students to the structure and function of cellular organelles and seeks to show their importance by discussing diseases and disorders that can result when an organelle does not function as it should. The storyline follows a...
By J. Phil Gibson
This clicker case addresses several concepts related to the evolutionary ecology of herbivore defenses. A survey of several different studies that investigated chemical defenses in Thymus vulgaris (thyme) gives students the opportunity to develop hyp...
When a Gene Turned Off Is a Matter of Life or Death
By Tracie M. Addy
When Jordan is diagnosed with brain cancer (glioblastoma multiforme), his college plans are unexpectedly put on hold. This scenario is presented in order to teach students about gene regulation, as the efficacy of the drug Jordan receives for post-su...
By Karobi Moitra
This case study details the historical discovery of the structure of DNA. Images of this key molecule are as iconic as those of the Mona Lisa, and identifying its structure has proven to be as intriguing a mystery for scientists as the reason behind ...
Joel E. Greengiant Learns About Peas
By Merle K. Heidemann (rr), Peter J.T. White, James J. Smith
This case study follows purveyors of peas, Joel E. and Jolene Greengiant, as they learn about the origin, biochemistry, genetics and eventual artificial selection of sweet (wrinkled) peas, all in the context of evolutionary biology. This integrative ...
By Richard C. Stewart, Daniel C. Stein, Kevin S. McIver, John Buchner, Ann C. Smith
In this case developed for an introductory general microbiology course, students consider concepts of bacterial genetics as they act as consultants to a foundation interested in funding innovative products. Students take the role of advising "the bar...