BLAST the invader

How do medical scientists identify the causal agent of respiratory disease? What tools allow medical researchers to decode a nucleotide sequence and match it to a specific pathogen?

Learning target

Students use the NCBI database to identify a pathogen by using DNA sequences given in the lesson.

Ohio science standards

Anatomy and Physiology

• AP.T.3 Lymphatic and immune system

Biology

• B.C.2 Cellular processes

Lesson downloads

pdf

Teacher document
pdf

Student sheet

Lesson links

Blast the invader DNA sequences
A Brief History of NCBI's Formation and Growth

Related pathways

Research and Laboratory Science

Discovery-focused roles working in labs, field research, or data-driven science.

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Roles focused on patient diagnosis, clinical trials, and population health.