Practical Immunology
| Module title | Practical Immunology |
|---|---|
| Module code | BIOM109 |
| Academic year | 2025/6 |
| Credits | 30 |
| Module staff | Professor William Horsnell (Convenor) |
| Duration: Term | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duration: Weeks | 10 |
| Number students taking module (anticipated) | 25 |
|---|
Module description
You will be trained in advanced immunological laboratory skills in conjunction with key research facilities in HLS. This will be delivered through lectures, laboratory tours and, most importantly, wet and dry practicals focusing on your data acquisition and analysis, respectively.
We would expect you to have an undergraduate background in a relevant biological subject. Such a background will provide the essential foundational knowledge needed to complete this course.
Module aims - intentions of the module
This module aims to ensure you are trained in the appropriate immunological laboratory skills to prepare you for your research project. It will provide you with important skills of analysis of experimental data and report writing to both to a scientific audience and potential employer.
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
ILO: Module-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 1. Describe the processes (both scientific and logistical) in the production of scientific data in research facilities.
- 2. Conduct experiments reflecting the work undertaken in research facilities.
ILO: Discipline-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 3. Identify and employ suitable statistical tests to measure your own hypotheses.
- 4. Present your findings in a suitable manner for a scientific report.
ILO: Personal and key skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 5. Conduct laboratory work effectively by maintaining focus, professionalism, and safe standards including independent assessment of risks and timings.
- 6. Reflect and then improve on your work (including failures) following discussion with team and supervisors.
Syllabus plan
Content Cycles
Studies will be undertaken in cycles of one week or longer during which students will learn about key techniques related immunological research through lectures from immunology researchers and tours of our immunology research facilities (e.g flow cytometry, sequencing and imaging core units).
You will then apply this knowledge in the laboratory (wet lab and/or computer lab) through collection and processing of experimental data before submitting their findings in a portfolio that showcases student knowledge and abilities through the narrative of an experimental investigation.
The available topics will vary each year depending upon the availability of specialist staff, equipment and interest. The below is an example of what a standard interlinked portfolio of activities may look like:
- Bacterial killing assays (1 week): You will test and demonstrate the ability of serum from immune and non-immune mammalian samples to mediate killing of a pathogen.
- ELISA (1 week): You will identify the presence of immune molecules in serum such as antibody and cytokine that would promote host immunity against a pathogen
- Flow Cytometry (5 weeks). You will gain familiarity with how to process and run samples for subsequent flowcytometric analysis of immune cell population. You will interpret data acquired using specialised software. Each week you will tackle an analytical flow cytometric question of increasing complexity.
Each task will be linked to a particular disease scenario and the student will write a report in the format of scientific journal based on the findings of each activity at the end of the module.
Methods Of Delivery
Breadth of understanding and application of skills is achieved through three channels.
- Facility Tours - You will be allocated to small groups and guided through various departmental facilities to better understand how advanced methods are employed at the research-level. Students will have the opportunity to ask questions to facility personnel in relation to their own studies.
- Lectures - Guest lecturers will present their research, and you will also be briefed brief on the weeks laboratory activities.
- Wet and Dry Practicals - In wet practicals, you will prepare samples, run equipment and gather raw data. Dry practicals will be based around the processing of said data using specialist software suited to the apparatus involved. Analysis will be performed using appropriate software and involve the identification of a suitable hypothesis and quantitative inspection of the datasets through choice tests. This will require significant periods of self-guided independent study.
Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 72 | 228 | 0 |
Details of learning activities and teaching methods
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching | 38 | Wet and dry laboratory practical activities including statistics training |
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching | 22 | Lectures |
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching | 12 | Small-group facility tours |
| Guided Independent Study | 228 | Consolidation of laboratory work and lectures |
Formative assessment
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3x Draft practical write ups | Max 1000 words per practical | 1-6 | Written tutor & peer feedback on how to improve quality of write up |
| Flow cytometry comprehensions | Max 500 words comprehension | 1-6 | Written |
Summative assessment (% of credit)
| Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
|---|---|---|
| 100 | 0 | 0 |
Details of summative assessment
| Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Combined written report on practical studies undertaken | 100 | Max 1500 words plus diagrams | 1-6 | Written |
Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)
| Original form of assessment | Form of re-assessment | ILOs re-assessed | Timescale for re-assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Combined written report on practical studies undertaken (100%) | Combined written report on practical studies undertaken | 1-6 | Relevant re-assessment period |
Indicative learning resources - Basic reading
- Murphy, K. M., Weaver, C., Berg, L., & Barton, G. (2022). Janeway's immunobiology (10th ed.). Garland Science.
- Abbas, A.K., Lichtman, A.H., & Pillai, S. (2015). Cellular and Molecular Immunology (8th ed.). Elsevier Saunders
Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources
Students will be expected to use standard online search engines such as PubMed to access peer reviewed research that will support their learning.
| Credit value | 30 |
|---|---|
| Module ECTS | 15 |
| Module pre-requisites | None |
| Module co-requisites | None |
| NQF level (module) | 7 |
| Available as distance learning? | No |
| Origin date | 10/04/2025 |
