This course is no longer offered

20345 Laboratory: Immunology 1

Credits: 2 advanced credits in Life Sciences

Prerequisites: Immunology. Students must also fulfill all English requirements and take bibliographic instruction in the Library.

Authors: Ruth Lomnitzer, Miriam Souroujon

This updated and revised laboratory course in immunology aims to provide knowledge, understanding and especially personal experience in applying laboratory methods utilized in immunological research, for the purpose of diagnosis, identification, follow-up and treatment in medicine and other branches of the life sciences including biotechnology.

The materials focus on the theoretical background of experiments conducted during the course, and include a guide that details the methods, equipment and materials used for the experiments. The course is held at the Open University laboratory and includes seven mandatory sessions. Lectures for enrichment are given on development, treatment, maintenance and use of laboratory animals; injection and immunization methods in various animals; development, production and use of monoclonal antibodies in the life sciences and in medicine.

Topics: Elicitation, production and purification of polyclonal antibodies from a serum by ammonium sulphate precipitation and by affinity chromatography; Classical and innovative methods of identifying and quantification of antibodies and antigens using gel diffusion, ELISA, and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis; Cellular immunology – lymphocyte separation from mice spleens, removal of T and B cells and MLR reaction; Characterizing cells by unique markers, identifying cell populations, quantitative identification of cell types in a sample using FACS flow cytometery; Elicitation, production and purification of monoclonal antibodies.

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