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During this Unit you will apply commonly used immune-based techniques in research-based scenarios to investigate immune responses in different situations of infection and disease. The content of the unit is designed to reinforce and stimulate interrogation of material in the co-requisite lecture unit BIOL21242 Immunology.

BIOL20942 Co-requisite is BIOL21242

• To expose students to the theory and practice of a selection of immune-based techniques commonly used in broad research and clinical laboratory settings
• To apply these techniques in question-based experimental settings that illustrate core immune principles
• To develop practical, organisational and team working skills within a research environment
• To enhance ability in experimental design, critical interpretation and presentation of data, and reporting of experimental findings 
  
   

By the end of this unit you should be able to; 
• follow instruction to work safely and effectively with others in a research laboratory setting 
• apply knowledge of principles underlying the experimental methods used to obtain and record meaningful data 
• document experiments in a counter-signed lab book in accordance with good laboratory practice 
• critically consider appropriateness of controls used and the validity and presentation of results generated to inform on the research question being asked 
• draw on knowledge from other areas of your learning to interpret results and inform on the nature of the immune response in different infection and disease scenarios 
• interpret similar data presented in the form of archived data or case studies 
• identify variable and hypervariable regions in linear sequences and in three-dimensional space in an intact antibody and comment on this in relation to generation of variability and antibody binding functions 
• appreciate other situations in which the research techniques experienced could be informative 
 

• Practical work will be performed in small groups for collaborative planning and experimental management. 
• Online support material will be provided through Canvas. 
• Problem-based learning and assessment will be provided in class as open book exercises.

Written report  
Full write-up of an assigned practical investigation in the style of journal paper (5 pages+1 page for figures) (worth 50% of the unit mark).

Portfolio 
Lab book (worth 2% of the unit mark): recording of experimental method and data acquisition in a dated lab book with page numbering and indexing, to be signed-off by demonstrators/staff at the end of each relevant experimental period.  

Other 
Short answer and data interpretation problems performed within the scheduled sessions (worth 48% of the unit mark) 

• In-class verbal feedback throughout
• Online ’Community Discussion Forum’ on Canvas;anonymous submission and discussion
• Written feedback for summative short answer and data interpretation assignments  
• Written feedback for the summative full-report write-up  

Compulsory:

• Review BIOL21242 lecture material, in particular, ‘Recognition of antigen by B cells and antibodies’, ‘The genetics of antigen receptors I: B cell receptor diversity’ and ‘Generation of antibodies and monoclonal antibodies’

Recommended:

• Kuby Immunology (8th edition, 2018), written by Stranford, Owen, Jones and Punt (MacMillan Education)
• Janeway’s Immunobiology (10th edition, 2022), written by Kenneth Murphy and Casey Weaver (Garland Science)
• Roitt’s Essential Immunology (13th edition, 2017), written by Delves, Martin, Burton and Roitt (Wiley-Blackwell).  

Reference:  

• Hurst RJ and Else KJ (2013). Trichuris muris research revisited: a journey through time. Parasitology, 140(11):1325-39 

RSM Attendance guidelines: Students must attend all scheduled RSM sessions on time (N.B. Health and safety information is often delivered at the start of practical sessions, and consequently students who are not present at the start may be asked to leave the lab).