BBCCL-128: Immunology

Laboratory courses are an integral part of undergraduate programme of Biochemistry. This course is for the learners of biochemistry with emphasis on immunology. The lab course is worth two credits. In immunology lab, learners are required to have a different skill set for their development than lecture courses. The lab course prioritizes learning goals centered on reinforcing lecture concepts and/or building fundamental skills in the field of immunology. It will expose learners to key techniques focused on the cellular and humoral components of the immune system and will forces them to spend more time considering each cell type's unique contribution to the immune response. Efforts have been made to provide learners with a strong foundation and to generate greater enthusiasm for an improved understanding of the complete immune response.

Learners are introduced to principle, methodology and applications of Immunological techniques based on theory within the framework of immunology course. Learners will learn to prepare and examine different types of immune cells such as eosinophils, basophils, neutrophils, lymphocytes and monocytes. Exercises have been designed to determine antigen-antobody interaction and their mutual interplay. Well known antigen-antibody precipitation by Ouchterlony double diffusion method has also been discussed.

These lab exercises will help each learner to complete the experiment, analyze the data and write laboratory report in a fixed time period. Each practical exercise begins with the ‘Introduction’ about the experiment in which theory and relevance have been discussed so that one can understand fully the importance of experiment beforehand. Protocols are covered in detail explaining how to take observations followed by calculations. Precautions to be taken while performing experiments have invariably been included under each practical exercise.

After completing this course, you should be able to:

• discuss the organization and histology of various cells in the lymphoid organs viz: thymus, spleen and lymph nodes;

• examine the functional interplay of immune cells;

• identify cellular processes related to immune functions that take place in these lymphoid organs;

• determine antigen-antibody precipitation by Ouchterlony double diffusion method;

• repare the slide for blood group determination; and

• demonstrate immuno-quantification technique of ELISA.