Consider the following fictional case:
There is a report of a new disease affecting approximately 30% of the persons living in a small rural area of Ontario. Affected individuals have a lack of energy and demonstrate a progressive loss of muscle function. Although we have no information yet, we believe the disease is caused by an infectious agent. Consequently, to limit the spread of this disease, immediate intervention is critical.
Blood and muscle tissue samples from unaffected and affected individuals are waiting for you. Microscopy and X-ray crystallography facilities are being readied for your arrival. In order to gain information as quickly as possible, please develop a solid research plan before beginning your investigations.
Some possible questions about this new disease could be:
1. Is there evidence of disease at the cellular level?
2. Is the disease caused by an infectious agent?
3. What is the infectious agent?
4. Does the infectious agent attack muscle tissue?
5. How might the infectious agent cause the disease?
6. Is there a drug to treat or prevent the disease?
Choose one of these questions to answer with your research plan. The plan should:
- follow the important parts of a fair test;
- show a clear description of how the test should be performed (paragraph or a step-by-step procedure);
- justify an appropriate choice of technology for this type of experiment.
Continue to use good Self-Regulation skills in this task.
