Download Basic Immunology Course Syllabus and more Study notes Immunology in PDF only on Docsity!
Instructors
Prof. Avery August [email protected] C5-171 VMC 607-253-
Prof. Cynthia Leifer [email protected] C5-171 VMC 607-253-
Dr. Beth Rhoades [email protected] 250 Duffield Hall 607-254-
Teaching Assistants
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Course Learning Goals
BIOMS 4150: Basic Immunology
Course Coordinator: Dr. Beth Rhoades Fall 2017^ T/Th^ 8:40-9:
125 Riley-Robb Hall
Why take this course?
The course covers the general mechanisms of human immune responses. It surveys the breadth of the immune system. We will cover essentially one chapter per week from the textbook which is a quick pace! This doesn’t leave time for in-depth examination or special topics which are reserved for advanced courses. The first part of the course introduces the major cells and mediators and explains how immune
reactions are formed. The middle of the course introduces two major arms of immunity that are mediated by B and T cells and explains how these cells respond to different threats (viruses, bacteria, fungi, and parasites). The last third of the course is the really fun applied part. It explains common phenomena such as allergy and immune memory and how the immune system is harnessed by modern medicine.
Your body is a cooperative collective of 70 trillion cells, only half, of which, are human. The other 40 trillion or so are foreign microbes that help to digest food, provide essential nutrients and displace the unsavory pathogens. For this co-op to work, you need an immune system. Immune cells keep your human cells on a straight and narrow path. Natural killer cells, for instance, kill stressed or pre-cancerous cells. And immune cells police the beneficial microbes. For example, dendritic cells sense the
foreign microbes, but they don’t signal for destruction unless the microbes are in the wrong place or if they are carrying molecules that dangerous pathogens express. Some immune cells even go as far as to provide food for the beneficial microbes to cultivate the right ones in your gut. This is just one story of the immune system at work. The immune system is fascinating! Take this course to learn about other functions of the immune system, such as defense against
pathogens. Take this course to understand how vaccines work or why some people suffer from allergies. Take this course to lay a strong foundation for further studies in medicine or microbiology. Take this course to learn about current topics in human health and immunity and to form your own views.
Contents
Learning goals……….....
How to succeed…….…..
Course deliverables…....
Course grading & format……………….….…
Quizzes & tests………....
Office hours…….………..
Class Schedule………….
Policies……………………
Mysterious multi-nucleated giant cell in tuberculosis
Readings will be from the text, The Immune System , Fourth Edition , by Parham, published by Garland Science. Copies will be placed on reserve in Mann library and the Flower- Spector Veterinary library.
What the course covers
Summary of Comments on Microsoft Word - rhoades
syllabus formatted final
Page: 1
Author: rhoades Subject: Sticky Note Date: 5/8/2017 9:02:27 PM I want to grab the interest of the students from the first day and the first page of the syllabus. I want to convey that the instructors are enthusiastic and interested in the topics. I want to set an open and relaxed tone to encourage students to look forward to the class and feel confident. Author: rhoades Subject: Sticky Note Date: 5/8/2017 9:02:27 PM
Pictures draw the eyes to various sections, and make it more likely that students will read the sections.
Author: rhoades Subject: Sticky Note Date: 5/8/2017 9:02:27 PM Students will be referring to this document MANY times. I organize and make it easy to find information.
2 BIOMS 4150: BASIC IMMUNOLOGY
Course Learning Goals
How to succeed in Basic Immunology
In order to have a successful and fun course, I ask that we agree to our roles up front. The instructors’ responsibilities are to teach to you the basics of the immune system and to show you how to use your knowledge to analyze and communicate on current topics in health and immunity.
WE AGREE TO: Provide clear & organized content with clear goals and schedules. Provide clearly explained and worth- while assignments with reasonable turn-around time on grading. Create learning experiences that promote more than rote memorization. Respond to your (constructive) feedback to continually improve lessons & fix misconceptions. Be available in person, by e-mail or by phone. Create a classroom that’s welcoming & conducive to learning in many styles. Provide fair assessments of your learning.
Immortalized (and famous) HeLa cells are a common
tool for immunologists studying how immune cells
control the host’s cells.
Your responsibility is to learn the content and the skills by taking an active and committed approach to learning.
I ASK THAT YOU AGREE TO: Put in fair time & effort to keep up with a quick pace. Ask for help before you get far behind. Think critically and ask questions. Participate in group activities. If this is challenging, speak to me about ways that I can help you to join groups. Be prepared to struggle. In some instances, you’ll be asked to give your interpretation BEFORE you have the full explanation. This sets deeper learning. Attend all classes to receive full credit on occasional in-class exercises. Self-regulate electronics. It’s fine to use laptops as study aids. It’s NOT fine to message or surf on unrelated social matters. It distracts you and those around you.
After successfully completing the course, you will be able to:
1) Describe the roles of major immune cells and immune mediators.
2) Explain key mechanisms that drive innate and acquired immune responses.
3) Draw out the paths of immune cells travel as they develop & defend the body.
4) Compare and contrast key protective immune defenses against pathogenic viruses, bacteria, fungi and
parasites.
5) Explain how dysregulated immunity creates conditions such as allergy, lymphomas and autoimmunity.
6) Explain the modes of action of current immunotherapies, including vaccines, anti-inflammatories &
therapeutic monoclonal antibodies.
7) Make informed views on current immunity topics and medical treatments that make use of the immune
system.
8) Discuss your views on current topics in immunity and human health with your colleagues, peers and
family.
Page: 2 Author: rhoades Subject: Sticky Note Date: 5/8/2017 9:02:27 PM Formal course learning goals (first for the course) will help to set consistency among instructors.
Author: rhoades Subject: Sticky Note Date: 5/8/2017 9:02:27 PM I once received a comment from a struggling student who stated in the course evaluation that it was my responsibility to generate enthusiasm, excitement, interest or anything else required to actively learn and retain information. I decided to clarify the responsibilities of teacher and student and to share this as a way for students to know what is expected of them in order to succeed.
4 BIOMS 4150: BASIC IMMUNOLOGY
Quizzes and tests
Course evaluations & instructor feedback
Weekly online quizzes Quizzes cover the class material from the week. There will be 11 quizzes, opened on Blackboard on most Fridays at 4 pm (indicated by asterisks on the schedule). Each will be due on the following Monday by 10 am. These must be your own work. The lowest quiz will be dropped, and they will account for 10% of your overall grade. Missed quizzes can’t be made up.
Multiple-choice prelims Questions will cover the material from pre-class and in- class activities or lectures. The prelims are weighted for the amount of material that they cover. First accounts for 10%; second 15% of course grade. There will be an optional evening review session prior to each prelim. Come to review sessions prepared to ask questions on material and to discuss it with fellow students
These are designed to assess your understanding of immune concepts and your ability to use central concepts to explain complex immune processes. The quizzes are intended to keep you on schedule.
Multiple-choice & short answer final exam This will be cumulative in the sense that you will be asked to explain the basic mechanisms that cause immune phenomena such as allergies or immune memory. 60% of the questions will come from a pool of questions that the class (you) has written and studied. There will be an optional review session to go over a portion of the class-written questions or other material. The remainder of the questions will be written by the course instructors.
This course will be taught by three instructors and some guest lecturers. There will be at least three teaching assistants. This is a big team, and we need to provide coordinated and consistent learning experiences. We’re also rolling out a journal assignment and pre-class activities. This means that your feedback is invaluable for guiding the instructors (and the course work). We’ll ask for your constructive suggestions and comments in confidential course evaluations on several occasions. PLEASE PARTICIPATE. IT WILL HELP YOUR EXPERIENCE. We intend to tweak tactics, explain things better and respond as the semester rolls.
Office Hours
Prof. Avery August As scheduled
Prof. Cynthia Leifer As scheduled
Dr. Beth Rhoades T 3:30 - 5: TH 10:00 - 11:
Teaching Assistants
M 11:00 - 12:
W 2:15 - 3:
F 10:15 - 12:
Page: 4 Author: rhoades Subject: Sticky Note Date: 5/8/2017 9:02:27 PM I first heard of the idea of asking students to generate test questions as a way of promoting deeper learning in a teaching course (ALS6015:Teaching in Higher Education). I am intrigued by the chance to emphasize the final important concepts. And I think having control over a significant portion of the final exam will put many students at ease without compromising assessment.
Author: rhoades Subject: Sticky Note Date: 5/8/2017 9:02:27 PM I appeal to the students to increase participation in course evaluations, and to get more useful feedback. I will devise mid-course questions that are based on questions to assess how students are faring with new assignments, whether they are overworked, whether they perceive the exercises as useful, etc.
Course Schedule
Date Topic Reading Instructor
8/22 Components of the Immune System Ch 1 Leifer
8/24 * Innate immunity - complement Ch 2 Leifer
8/29 Innate immunity - first response
Journal assignment (2) starts
Ch 2, Ch 3 Leifer
8/31 * Innate immunity - innate cells Ch 3 Leifer
9/5 Antigens and Antibodies Ch 4-1 to 4-6 Leifer
9/7 * Immunoglobulin genes Ch 4-7 to 4-17 Leifer
9/12 Antigen presentation and the MHC Ch 5-1, 5-6 to 5-23 Leifer
9/14 B cell development Ch 6-1 to 6-13 Leifer
9/19 Prelim (includes material thru 9/12) Ch 6-1 to 6-13 August
9/21 * T cell development
Immune therapy report (1) due
Ch 5-1 to 5-5, Ch 7 Rhoades
9/26 T cell activation and regulation Ch 8-1 to 8-8, 8-12 Rhoades
9/28 * Effector T cells Ch 8-9 to 8-20 Rhoades
10/3 Effector T cells Ch 11-3 to 11-10 Rhoades
10/5 * B cell activation Ch 9-1 to 9-6; 6-14 to 6-15 Rhoades
10/10 (fall break)
10/12 * Diversification of antibodies Ch 9-7 to 9-
review 4-14 to 4-
Rhoades
10/17 Functions of antibodies Ch 9-14 to 9-
review 4-16 to 4-
Rhoades
10/19 Mucosal Immunity Ch 10 Rhoades
10/24 Prelim (includes material thru 10/17) August
10/26 * Immunological Memory Ch 11-1 to 11-13 Rhoades
10/31 Vaccination Ch 11-14 to 11-28 Rhoades
11/2 * Allergy and asthma Ch 14 August
11/7 Immune deficiencies Ch 13-8 to 13-16 August
11/9 * HIV and AIDS Ch 13-17 to 13-25 August
11/14 Cancer Ch 17 August
11/16 * Research Guest Lecture TBD
11/21 Tissue transplantation
Discussion assignment (3) due
Ch 15 August
11/23 (Thanksgiving break)
11/28 Autoimmune diseases Ch 16 August
11/30 The Hygiene Hypothesis supplemental August
12/TBD Final exam August
Page: 5 Author: rhoades Subject: Sticky Note Date: 5/8/2017 9:02:27 PM The number of guest lectures has been drastically reduced as a way to maintain consistency. This is purely theoretical because the other instructors that are listed have very busy schedules. For 4 years, students have complained about the last third of the course being too disjointed when a new professor comes each week to lecture on their area of expertise. So at the very least, the instructors could be slimmed down there or brought up to date on some ways to standardize their content.
