Instructor: Dr. Fernando Monroy; Office BIO 203
Teaching Assistant: Emily Cope, Wettaw 231.
 

This laboratory is designed to teach general principles of immunology and to supplement, with hands-on experience, the lecture. After completing the laboratory, students should have working knowledge of some basic immunological techniques. Many of these techniques are not unique to the field of irmmunology, but are used in diverse fields of biology. Students in previous semesters have enjoyed the laboratory exercises, and have gained useful skills. I enjoy teaching the laboratory because it gives me a chance to get to know my students better.

Grading: (the lab accounts 25% towards your final grade)
- Worksheets -        
- Lab reports -       
- Final exam -          
- Article review -     
- Quizzes -               
- Professionalism -   
                 Total =    300 points

Attendance and conduct: Attendance in lab is mandatory because the work cannot be made up. I will take attendance and will not accept lab reports for labs not attended. 10 points of your  laboratory grade is for professional behavior, which includes acting responsibly in lab, and not leaving early and letting your lab partner finish up. All students are expected to use good laboratory technique learned in BIO 220. Because the lab sections are full and you will often be working with a partner, you must attend your assigned lab section.  A lab coat or some other removable article of clothing is required. We will be working with blood cells, bacteria, and various stains throughout the semester and it is always a good idea to wear something than can be easily removed (without embarrassment) and washed.

Laboratory reports: There will be 6 worksheets (worth 10 points each), which will be due at the end of the laboratory session and 3 laboratory reports (worth 50 points each) due the session following the assignment. Specific information on each laboratory report will be provided. There will also be a brief review of an immunology article that closely parallels a laboratory report (worth 15 points).

Final exam and quizzes: The final exam (45 points) will cover principles learned during the semester; the purpose is to pull together various assays. It will consist of identification, problem solving and experimental design. Do not think this exam will be easy and therefore wait until an hour before the test to begin studying. There will also be a number of unannounced quizzes (20 points) during the semester that will cover the exercise you will be doing that day, as well as past exercises.
 
 

Schedule of Laboratory Exercises

DATE                                       TOPIC

Aug. 25/29                           Lab policy and grading.

Sept. 1/5        Ex. 1.             Introduction to hematopoietic and lymphoid
                                            tissue. Worksheet (due today, 10 points)

 9/13              Ex. 2.             Techniques: Dilutions and protein quantification
                                            (worksheet due today, 10 points).

15/19            Ex. 3.              Specific immunity: antigen-antibody interactions as demonstrated  by gel
                                            diffusion. Introduction to ELISA, set up plates. Article review.

                                            Immunoglobulin rearrangement (worksheet due today, 10 points).
 

22/26            Ex. 4.              ELISA. Discussion of results of exercise 3. Article review due.

29/Oct. 3      Ex. 5.              Lab report due today(exercises 3 and 4, 50 points).
                                            Electrophoresis of serum proteins (Part I).

 6/10             Ex. 6.              Discussion of electrophoresis results.
                                            Western blots: electrophoresis and transfer.

 13/17           Ex. 6.              Western blots (cont.): immunostaining and discussion of results.

 20/24                                  Electrophoresis worksheet due (10 points). Includes Table 1, questionare,
                                            MW calculations graph, gel pictures).
 
 24                                        LAST DAY TO DROP WITH A “W”

Oct/Nov. 28/1 Ex. 7             Innate immunity: bacterial lysis by lysozyme.Worksheet due next class
                                                period, 10 points.
                                            Western blot lab report due (50 points)

 3/7                Ex. 8               Cell counts and viability using a hemocytometer (Worksheet due today,
                                               10 points). (Worksheet from Ex. 7 due today, (10 points).
 
 11/15            Ex. 9                Innate Immunity: in vitro phagocytosis
                      Ex. 10              Mechanisms of Innate Immunity.

17/21                                     FINAL LABORATORY EXAM.
                                              Innate immunity lab report due (exercises 7, 9, 10 -  50 points).

24/28                                    THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY. NO LABS