Name

_____________________________ ChE 395- Biotechnology and Global Health

Midterm #1 (100 pts) - Finish by 11:50 AM

1) [10 pts] You have an idea for a molecule that disrupts the formation of the HIV capsid. Describe the
experiments/activities you would undertake to assess each of the following with 2 sentences of
detail.
a. Biological Plausibility

b. Technical Feasibility

c. Intermediate Outcomes / Disease Outcomes

d. Patient Outcomes

e. Societal Outcomes

2) [10 pts] For your HIV drug idea, Name one key player or stakeholder in each phase. Describe one
way they could negatively influence your assessment.
a. Biological Plausibility

b. Technical Feasibility

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Name _____________________________ ChE 395- Biotechnology and Global Health

c. Intermediate Outcomes / Clinical trials

d. Patient Outcomes

e. Societal Outcomes

3) You are evaluating tests for Hepatitis B. The following is data from a clinical trial for Test A.
a. [3 pts] What is the sensitivity for Test A?

Test A + Test A -

Hep B + 57 3

Hep B - 43 97
b. [3 pts] What is the positive predictive value for Test
A?

Test A will be used as a screen that will be carried out in a local clinic, and another test (Test B) will
be used to confirm infection at a hospital.
c. [3 pts] For Test A, is sensitivity or positive predictive value more important? Why?

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Name _____________________________ ChE 395- Biotechnology and Global Health

(Problem 3 cont’d)

d. [3 pts] For Test B, is sensitivity or positive predictive value more important? Why?

4) [5 pts] HIV Infection / Replication Cycle – Fill in the blank

I
IV

II V
III

I. _____________________ (A) Assembly

II. _____________________ (B) Transcription/Translation

III. _____________________ (C) Reverse Transcription

IV. _____________________ (D) Penetration

V. _____________________ (E) Integration

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Name _____________________________ ChE 395- Biotechnology and Global Health

5) [6 pts] Different TB diagnostic tests may give false positive or false negative results for active TB. For
each of these tests, predict the test result (positive/negative) and why you would expect that result.
a. Skin test on latent TB infection

b. Interferon γ test on latent TB / late stage HIV co-infection

6) [5 pts] Are the following groups susceptible to Toxoplasmosis because of a weak immune system
(yes/no)?
a. ____ Infants
b. ____ Adults
c. ____ Elderly
d. ____ Early stage HIV
e. ____ Late stage HIV
7) [6 pts] Select 3 of the following 4 categories: biosensors, biomaterials, tissue engineering, systems
biology. For each category, describe a healthcare technology application in one sentence.

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Name _____________________________ ChE 395- Biotechnology and Global Health

8) [9 pts] Oral Rehydration Therapy (ORT) is used to treat cholera by preventing water loss due to
diarrhea. Answer the following questions in words or with drawings.
a. What is the driving force for water to be absorbed in the gut?

b. How does cholera prevent absorption?

c. How does ORT rehydrate?

9) [4 pts] How can an infection lead to cancer?

10) [4 pts] Describe how a lateral flow device (e.g., pregnancy test) works. Use words or drawings.

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Name _____________________________ ChE 395- Biotechnology and Global Health

11) [6 pts] For each of the following, write (i) one possible origin of that type of stem cell, and (ii) if it can
differentiate to any cell, or just a subset. (Circle ‘Any cell’ or ‘Subset of cells’. You do not need to
identify which type it would differentiate).
a. Embryonic stem cell
i. Origin

ii. Differentiation - Any cell | Subset of cells

b. Adult stem cell

i. Origin

ii. Differentiation - Any cell | Subset of cells

c. Induced pluripotent stem cell

i. Origin

ii. Differentiation - Any cell | Subset of cells

12) HIV Biology
a. [2 pts] What cell type does HIV invade? 2 pt

b. [3 pts] Sketch a plot of HIV viral load and the concentration of the type of immune cell that
is attacked in the blood versus time. Label acute infection, latent infection, and AIDS.











c. [2 pts] What factor has enabled HIV to spread so easily?

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Name _____________________________ ChE 395- Biotechnology and Global Health

13) [16 pts] True or False. If false, correct the statement.

____Cardiovascular disease is a blockage of the pulmonary artery.

____Antibodies are proteins that bind specifically to a particular protein.

____Antibodies can not be used in diagnostics, because they are dangerous.

____Current healthcare R & D investment focuses on the greatest health impact.

____Chemotherapy is often used to treat Stage IV cancer.

____The immune system clears many cancers that are never detected.

____Morbidity is the number of mortalities per year.

____Computational models are useful because biological systems are complex.

Q Points Score
1 10
2 10
3 12
4 5
5 6
6 5
7 6
8 9
9 4
10 4
11 6
12 7
13 16
100

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