JoinAll Case Studies
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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 Jeffrey J. Byrd, Samantha L. Elliott
As nonliving entities, viruses face specific challenges when replicating in a host. Avoiding the host immune system is something that every virus aims for in order to successfully reproduce itself and infect another host. Many viruses rep...
By Jeffrey J. Byrd, Samantha L. Elliott
This case study considers the evolution of HIV from SIV, as well as the evolution of HIV within humans by mutation rate. It also discusses the immune evasion proteins NEF and VPU, and how anti-retroviral drugs act to stall viral replication. Finally,...
Why Was the 1918 Influenza So Deadly?
By Annie Prud’homme-Genereux, Carmen A. Petrick
In this intimate debate, students examine the causes of the devastation wrought by the 1918 Spanish Influenza pandemic. Students consider whether the 1918 flu was exceptionally deadly because of its biology, or whether prevalent geopolitical-socioeco...
Chickens and Humans and Pigs, Oh My!
By Jeffrey J. Byrd, Samantha L. Elliott
Influenza is a common topic in the popular press and a point of interest for many students. This case study was written to promote interdisciplinary connections between upper division virology and immunology classes. Students that partici...
By Dustin J. Eno, Annie Prud’homme-Genereux
This four-part interrupted case on phage therapy was developed for a freshmen non-majors course in molecular biology. The case begins with a story inspired by real events where Europeans imposed a treatment for cholera on the unwilling population of ...
By Karin Grimnes (rr)
This interrupted case study is a story about Carrie and her infant daughter Hayden who share similar symptoms: weight loss, metabolic abnormalities, and endocrine glands that just won't quit - as well as autoimmune complications. Students will eventu...
Resistance Is Futile, Or is It? The Clicker Version
By Steven L. Telleen
This clicker case is an adaptation of a case by Annie Prud'homme-Généreux that was originally published by the National Center for Case Study Teaching in Science titled "Resistance Is Futile ... or Is It? The Immunity System and HIV Infection." It ...
By Kristy J. Wilson
Sam, a pre-med college student, routinely gets dialysis and develops a urinary tract infection. The infection is from a bacterium that the news media is calling a "superbug" from India. Sam does some internet searches to find out more information abo...
By Annie Prud’homme-Genereux
Cancer is usually thought to be a disease that affects individuals. But could cancer evolve to become infectious? This case follows the research on a form of transmissible cancer that is decimating the Tasmanian devil, the world’s largest carnivoro...
Helicobacter pylori and the Bacterial Theory of Ulcers
By Debra A. Meuler
This case is an account of the events that led Drs. Robin Warren and Barry Marshall to the bacterial theory of ulcers. The two physicians refused to accept the standard explanations for what they had observed and instead developed an alternative hypo...
Resistance is Futile - Or Is It?
By Annie Prud’homme-Genereux
While the majority of people are prone to HIV infection, some individuals remain uninfected despite repeated exposure. This case study is based on the landmark paper by Paxton et al. (1996) that uncovered some of the mechanisms of protection against ...
By Ling Chen, Jennifer Y. Anderson, Diane R. Wang
The Clarksons are making dinner for friends and decide to try out their new pressure cooker. As students read the dialogue that ensues, they learn about how the boiling point of water is directly related to external pressure, apply the ideal gas law,...
By Catherine Dana Santanello
Blake is sick. With his background in the sciences and a little help from the Internet, he should be able to do a self-diagnosis. Or can he? As the case unfolds, students follow the course of Blake's illness. Part I of the cas...
By Susan Bandoni Muench
This historical case study describes the story of John Snow’s discovery of water-borne transmission of cholera in 19th-century London. Designed for use in a Global Health class, the case explores cholera outbreaks and their causes as well as models...
By Susan Nava-Whitehead, Joan-Beth Gow
This case study examines the Salem witch trials that took place in Salem, Massachusetts, in the late 1600s. It is designed to provide students with an opportunity to analyze and critique data and help them understand the scientific method. Originally...
By Richard C. Stewart, Ann C. Smith, Patricia A. Shields
In this interrupted case study, students assume the role of a microbiologist working at a chemical company that makes polyurethane. When a collection unit designed to pick up extraterrestrial (ET) samples (nicknamed ELVIS) returns to earth, much of t...
Take Two and Call Me in the Morning
By Peggy Brickman
In this “clicker case,” students read about a college student who becomes sick. As they set out to identify the cause of the illness, students learn about the differences between viruses, prokaryotes, and eukaryotes in order to decide which organ...
By Kristina Hannam, Rodney Hagley
This “clicker case” teaches students about the scientific method by following the story of the discovery of the cause of human gastric ulcers by two Australian biomedical scientists. Students see how the researchers followed up an unusual observa...
A Case Study Involving Influenza and the Influenza Vaccine
By John S. Bennett
This interrupted case study presents a discussion about the benefits of the influenza vaccine between Mary, a nursing student, and her coworker, Karen. Karen is not convinced by Mary’s arguments in favor of vaccination, and she counters with severa...
The Case of a Tropical Disease and its Treatment
By Catherine Dana Santanello, Jennifer Rehg
This case study highlights the epidemiological and socioeconomic factors associated with a disease which plagues thousands of people in Central and South America. The case follows the story of Adrian, a banana plantation worker in southwestern ...
Do You Really Know What You're Eating?
By Wayne Shew (rr), Mary Celeste Reese
Starting from a fictional “news” report about an apparent allergic reaction to a taco tainted by genetically modified corn, students consider some of the techniques and procedures used in modern molecular genetics and microbiology as well as some...
By Karen M. Aguirre
Dengue (pronounced "deng-ee") is a viral disease transmitted by the bite of an infected mosquito, usually Aedes aegypti. It is common in tropical regions, especially Southeast Asia, India, South and Central America, and Mexico. There is concern that ...
By Kathleen A. Cornely
In the weeks following the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, anthrax-laced envelopes were mailed to individuals in government and the news media. Thousands were treated for exposure, and five people wer...
The 1st New Disease of the 21st Century
By Otto Sanchez
This case study uses a PowerPoint (~1MB) combined with role-playing to present the epidemiology and pathophysiology of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). Students learn about the etiology and pathophysiology of the disease, and then argue diff...
By Robin Pals-Rylaarsdam
In this problem-based learning/role playing case, students apply their knowledge of the biology of HIV/AIDS and antiretroviral therapy to developing foreign aid policy for the HIV/AIDS crisis in sub-Saharan Africa. The case was created for a non-majo...
Between the Living and the Dead
By Kari A. Mergenhagen
As Jen pores over her introductory biology textbook, she falls asleep and enters a nightmarish world in which bacteria and viruses dwarf human beings. This engagingly written case explores the differences between viruses and bacteria while teaching a...
By Stephen C. Nold
In this interrupted case study, students explore the environmental consequences of Antarctic research as they design experiments to assess the impact of disposing untreated sewage from a research station into the ocean. Students review experimental m...
By Kate Rittenhouse-Olson
This dilemma case was designed for a junior level immunology course. It could also be used in a microbiology or bacteriology course where the emphasis is on treatment as well as disease....
By Merri Lynn Casem
This case study was developed for a first-semester foundations course for biology majors. It is based on two conflicting reports in the scientific literature on the status of nanobacteria as living organisms in order to explore basic concepts related...
The Case of the Newborn Nightmare
By Andrea C. Wade
Three newborns left in the care of "Dr. Mark Maddison" have developed a mysterious rash. Under increasing pressure from hospital administrators and distressed parents, the doctor must diagnose and treat the infants. Students are given discrete pieces...
To Vaccinate, or Not to Vaccinate
By Caren D. Shapiro
The case was prompted by a newspaper story about a couple who refused on religious grounds to have their son vaccinated even though vaccination is a requirement for admission to the public schools. It explores the issues surrounding the necessity and...
Dr. Collins and the Case of the Mysterious Infection
By Paula P. Lemons, Sarah K. Huber
In this case study, Dr. Collins must diagnose and prescribe treatment for a young patient with a serious infection. Students receive pieces of the case in a progressive disclosure format and answer questions about bacterial infection, antibiotics, an...
By Arne Tarnvik
This case study focuses on a young mother whose child attends a day care center where there has been an outbreak of bacterial meningitis. The case explores the need for health care workers to provide relevant medical information and advice to patient...
Is Iron Fertilization Good for the Sea?
By LeLeng To Issacs (rr)
This case study describes experiments to seed the ocean with iron to encourage algae growth. It explores how human activities contribute to greenhouse effects and global warming, proposals to potentially counteract these effects and make the ocean mo...
Microbial Pie, or What Did You Feed the Neighbors?
By Theresa Hornstein
The Emergency Room seems busier than usual, and the cases coming in are all too similar. Everyone seems to be suffering from the same symptoms - abdominal pain, vomiting, and bloody diarrhea. Once the hospital staff identify the bacteria ...