Case Studies

Case studies are an excellent way to introduce real-life ethics situations to students. The case studies linked here are designed, many by students in the ISU Bioethics Program, for teaching purposes, to help students develop critical responses to ethical issues, taking into account a multitude of viewpoints. Please feel free to use these case studies in your classrooms, or modify as necessary for your purposes. Please give credit where credit is due.

If you would like to contribute your own case studies to this list, or to offer significant revisions to posted cases, please contact the Bioethics Program at jwcwolf@iastate.edu

Bioethics Case Studies:

(This site is regularly revised to add new case studies. If there is an important topic not represented among these case studies and you would use a new study on this topic, please contact jwcwolf@iastate.edu.)

Precautionary Principle Case Study (Biotech Version).pdf In its most common form, the "precautionary principle" states "Where there are threats of serious or irreversible damage, lack of full scientific certainty shall not be used as a reason for postponing cost effective measures to prevent environmental degradation." As a principle for evaluating new technologies, the precautionary principle is highly controversial. This case study provides an opportunity to consider arguments for and against precaution.

Are human genes patentable? Should they be patentable? This case addresses legal and ethical issues involved in patents on human genetic material, focusing on Myriad Genetics, a company that filed patents covering human genes that can be used to identify risk of breast and ovarian cancers. The Supreme Court ruled in 2013 that unaltered human genes are not patentable subject matter, but many patents that involve human genetic material are still patentable under U.S. Law. This case involves a deep-dive into the legal challenge to Myriad Genetics patents as they arose at the appeals court level, since it was at this juncture that the most pressing legal and ethical issues were raised.

Is there a Right to Save Seeds? Percy Schmeiser Case Study.pdf Percy Schmeiser, a Canadian canola farmer, was sued by Monsanto Corporation for planting patented glyphosate resistant canola. Schmeiser had not paid for the seeds he planted, but claimed that he had a right to use them since, as he claimed, they had appeared on his land. Did Schmeiser intentionally steal Monsanto's patented product? Can patent holders sue if patented plants arrive on a farmers' field as a result of pollen drift? This case provides students an opportunity to address both legal and ethical issues involved.

Plagiarism Case Study.pdf This case study, developed by Charlotte Bronson, is a quick exercise testing understanding of 'plagiarism.' What is plagiarism? When is citation required, and what form must citations take? Under what circumstances can a writer be justly accused of appropriating language or ideas belonging to others? This case study provides excellent basis for a class discussion of these important issues.

Female Genital Mutilation Case Study.pdf "Female circumcision" is a practice to alter the appearance and function of a young girl's genitals by cutting. The practice raises important ethical and legal concerns: Should legal prohibitions take cultural differences into account, and if so how? What form should regulations take, and what punishments might be defensible and appropriate? This case study, developed by Michael Stanfield, has sometimes been controversial because it includes arguments that defend the practice of female genital mutilation. Full appreciation of this issue, however, requires understanding of these arguments. They are here presented without advocacy, as representation of the actual views of those who defend the practice as culturally appropriate. Students exposed to this excellent case will gain familiarity with multiple arguments, and will come away with a deeper and richer understanding of the problem.

Monarch Butterflies and Bt corn.pdf This case study covers a classic and widely discussed case: In 1999, researchers at Cornell University conducted a preliminary study that indicated the possibility that pollen from Bt corn varieties might harm monarch butterflies, a species already at significant risk. He sent a brief write up of his study to Nature, for consideration to be published as "scientific correspondence." This case study gives students an opportunity to discuss the decision to submit this paper, and the editorial decision to publish it.

Golden Rice Case Study.pdf "Golden rice" was developed to increase access to vitamin A. Its introduction, however, faced controversy and opposition.

Animal Use Case Study Revised.pdf The use of animals in scientific research is regulated, but still a subject of controversy. Can we justify the treatment animals undergo in the context of scientific research?

Enbridge Pipeline Case Study.pdf Oil pipelines involve human and environmental risks, but alternative methods for moving oil also involve significant risk. This case study discusses controversy surrounding a proposal to replace a pipeline that moves oil from Canada through Minnesota.

Enviropigs.pdf Hog manure is high in phosphorus, posing a potential environmental hazard. Researchers at the University of Guelph developed a transgenic pig that use plant phosphorus more efficiently, reducing the phosphorus content of manure by as much as 75%. This case study offers an opportunity to consider the ethical issues involved in this research, and the possibility that these transgenic pigs might gain wider use. (This case study by Robert Streiffer and Sara Gavrell Ortiz.)

Stem Cell Case Study.pdf The "Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act" (H.R. 810) was approved in the House of Representatives with bipartisan support. The act sought to expand the set of stem cell lines available for use in publicly funded research. This case, focused on the debate surrounding the introduction of that act, offers an opportunity to discuss diverse views concerning research involving human stem cells.

Neem Patent Case Study.pdf The Neem tree grows in Asia, and it has long been recognized for the medicinal and insecticidal value of its leaves, seeds, and bark. This case study introduces controversies that arose when several U.S. companies filed patent applications covering neem processing and products. (This case needs editing, but is usable in its current form.)

Plant patenting case study.pdf Under U.S. law, plants have been recognizable as covered by patents. But other countries (Canada) do not recognize plants or other organisms as patentable subject matter. This case study introduces important arguments surrounding the question whether plants are properly patentable under U.S. law, and whether they should be recognized as patentable subject matter.

Des Moines Water Works Case Study.pdf The Des Moines Water Works has the most sophisticated nitrogen-removal system in the world, because the nitrate levels in the Raccoon River, which supplies Des Moines with water, are seriously elevated. In 2015, the Des Moines Water Works filed a lawsuit against drainage districts in Sac, Calhoun, and Buena Vista counties in Iowa. This case study reviews the problem of elevated nitrate levels, the arguments surrounding the lawsuit, and the broader legal and ethical problems for proposals to regulate agricultural pollutants in water in the American midwest.

Sustainable Beef Production Case Study.pdf Meat production has consequences for environmental and human health. Some argue that beef can never be a sustainably produced agricultural product. This case study evaluates arguments on both sides of this question.

Proposition 12 - Pork Producers v Ross.pdf California's Proposition 12 places restrictions on meat that can be sold in the state of California. It sets minimum space requirements for pigs, veal calves, and hens, and prohibits confinement conditions regarded by its authors as 'cruel.' Its requirements would impose significant costs on midwestern producers who would like to sell their products in California. This case considers both legal and ethical issues involved when state regulations

Personal genetic testing case study.pdf Millions of people have taken commercially available direct-to-consumer genetic tests, but such testing raises important ethical issues. Since closely-related people share genetic markers, genetic testing raises privacy concerns not only for the purchaser but also for that person's relatives. Some argue that genetic information is not valuable to consumers, and may actually cause harm, since people may misinterpret the information provided. This case study considers ethical issues involved in personal genetic testing.

Wind Energy Case Study.pdf Wind energy generation has become controversial for several reasons, some political and others ethical. This case study addresses issues of zoning and local control: may towns and communities regulate the installation of wind turbines? Should they do so?

Science Denial Case Study.pdf Skepticism about science and scientific results is currently widespread in the United States and elsewhere. What kind or degree of skepticism about scientific claims is appropriate or justifiable? Is so-called "science denial" protected by constitutional guarantees of free speech and freedom of conscience? This case study evaluates "science denial" as an ethical and legal issue.

Sub-Therapeutic Antibiotic use on livestock.pdf Producers use antibiotics to increase growth rates and to protect animals against infectious disease, but widespread subtherapeutic use of antibiotics undermines the effectiveness of antibiotics themselves, and facilitates the evolution of antibiotic resistant pathogens. This case study evaluates ethical issues involved in the subtherapeutic use of antibiotics in animal agriculture.

Cannabis case study .pdf Marijuana has well-documented medical benefits for some patients, and has been legalized in many U.S. states. But Marijuana (Cannabis sativa) is a Schedule 1 controlled substance under the U.S. controlled substance act, This puts it in the same category as LSD and heroin. Should the federal government declassify Cannabis sativa and allow its more widespread use in research? Should it be available for recreational consumer use? This case study evaluates arguments for and against restrictions.

Hemp Legalization Case Study.pdf Hemp and marijuana products both come from the cannabis plant, but hemp is distinguished by its use, physical appearance, and lower concentrations of THC. Should hemp be legal as an agricultural crop? This case study evaluates arguments for and against legalization of hemp.

Vaccination Mandate Case Study.pdf Vaccines are politically controversial, but have been proven highly effective to protect against infectious disease. Vaccines have saved millions of lives, but they are not without some accompanying risks. This case study evaluates a proposal to require vaccination as a matter of state law, considering ethical and legal arguments raised by advocates and opponents.

Other Case Studies:

Case studies listed below have not been fully reviewed for use, but all have been used in class and are quite complete enough for classroom use. If you have questions about their format or their use, please contact Clark Wolf at jwcwolf@iastate.edu.

Teacher Resources for Using Case Studies In Class:

Sarah Heuer - A Case Study Method for Teaching Bioethics.pdf

In this monograph, Sarah Heuer discusses the use of case studies for teaching bioethics and science ethics.

CASE STUDY TEMPLATE (2026).doc This link is primarily for teachers who would like to have their students develop new case-study exercises to be run in class. The link will download a file in MSWordCase that provides a fill-in-the-blank template for a standard case study design. The proposed template is not, of course, the only structure one could use to develop a good case study. But experience shows that it's a good design, one that works well.