Sample interview questions: How do you approach designing and implementing experiments to study the impact of fungal diseases on reptile populations?
Sample answer:
Approach to Designing and Implementing Experiments on the Impact of Fungal Diseases on Reptile Populations
1. Define Research Objectives and Hypotheses:
- Clearly articulate the research goals and develop testable hypotheses to investigate the effects of fungal diseases on reptile populations.
2. Species Selection and Study Site:
- Choose representative reptile species with varying susceptibility to fungal infections.
- Establish study sites with appropriate environmental conditions and known disease prevalence.
3. Disease Monitoring and Sampling:
- Implement systematic surveillance to monitor the prevalence and severity of fungal diseases in reptile populations.
- Collect samples for fungal isolation, identification, and characterization.
4. Experimental Design:
- Design controlled experiments comparing infected and non-infected reptile groups.
- Use appropriate experimental units (e.g., enclosures, cages) and sample sizes to ensure statistical power.
- Establish standardized environmental conditions (e.g., temperature, humidity) and disease inoculation methods.
5. Dat… Read full answer