Biol 342: Basic Immunobiology Laboratory
Syllabus
Teacher: Dr. Mauricio Rodriguez-Lanetty (Room 514; Wharton Hall)
Introduction of the Course:
Immunology is the study of the immune system, which is used to defend the body and
maintain a constant internal environment. This can be upset by disease-causing agents,
toxic substances, the damaging of host tissues by its own immune system, and abnormal
cells. It also represents how the body reacts to almost anything alien, foreign, or NONSELF, as if it were a “surveillance system” for the body.
In addition, a large part of immunology is non-disease oriented and used as a tool to
solve problems in molecular biology, biochemistry, and medicine. Many newer medical
techniques and tests are based on these immunological tools.
Goals for the Student:
The goals of this laboratory class are to introduce the student to the field of
immunology, to learn the experimental basis for our understanding of the immune
system, to comprehend the use of immunology as a tool for clinicians and
experimentalists, and to be able to isolate and use components of the immune system in
the laboratory. Students will be expected to develop an ability to perform the necessary
calculations to prepare immunological reagents, to use a variety of analytical
techniques and equipment to perform experiment in immunology, to record and
interpret experimental data, and to infer results from their own work. Students will
maintain notebooks to perform experiments, record results and interpret experimental
data.
Grading:
1) Pre-lab and lab report (10):
2) Home work (2):
3) Quizzes (8)
4) Final presentation (1)
5) Attendance to the Projects
Total:
100 points (10 points each)
30 points (15 points each)
80 points (10 points each)
65 points
25 points (5 points each)
300 points
Material required:
Ring Notebook to keep notes and handouts and to record the results
Suggested:
Calculator, ruler/straight-edge
Optional: Lab coat
Scheduled Activities
01 /14 (Wed) Introduction to the course. Schedule of homework 1. Seminar Room: 1:30 to 2:30 pm
01/19 (Mon) Holiday: Martin Luther King
01/ 21 (Wed) Lab 1: Immune attack (A virtual Computer Simulation)
01/26 (Mon) Discussion of Home work 1. Schedule of homework 2. Seminar room: 1:30 to 2:30
pm
01/ 28 (Wed) Continuation of Lab 1 (Immune Attack)
02/02 (Mon) Quiz and discussion of Lab 1 and homework 2; Selection of review projects. Video:
how to do titration.
02/04 (Wed) Lab 2: Basic Equipment and Dilution Procedures
02/09 (Mon) Lab 3: Construction of a Standard Curve for Determination of Antibody
Construction
02/11 (Wed) Quiz and discussion of lab 2 and 3
02/ 16 (Mon) Lab 4: Simulated Blood Smearing
02/ 18 (wed) Quiz and discussion of lab 4
02/23 (Mon) Holiday: Mardi Grass
02/25 (Wed) Holiday: Mardi Grass
03/02 (Mon) Lab 5: Titration of Antibody, Measuring Titre
03/04 (Wed) Quiz and discussion of lab 5
03/09 (Mon) Lab 6: Immunodiffusion: Ouchterlony Method
03/11 (Wed) Quiz and discussion of Lab 6
03/16 (Mon) Lab 7: Quantifying and Enumerating Bacterial Populations
03/18 (Wed) Quiz and discussion of Lab 7
03/23 (Mon) Lab 8: Measuring Natural Immunity: The Bactericidal activity of Serum
03/25 (Wed) Quiz and discussion of Lab 8
03/30 (Mon) Lab 9: Enzyme linked Immuno-absorbant Assay (ELISA)
04/01 (Wed) Continuation Lab 9 (ELISA)
04/06 (Mon) Quiz and discussion and or continuation of Lab 9
04/08 (Wed) Help on the projects
04/13 (Mon) Spring Break
04/15 (Wed) Spring Break
04/20 (Mon) Presentation of Projects 1 to 5
04/22 (Wed) Presentation of Projects 6 to 10
04/27 (Mon) Presentation of Projects 11 to 15
04/ 29 (Wed) Presentation of Project 16 to 20