91180 Immunology and Human Health
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Subject handbook information prior to 2025 is available in the Archives.
Credit points: 6 cp
Subject level:
Undergraduate
Result type: Grade and marksRequisite(s): 91401 Immunology 1
These requisites may not apply to students in certain courses. See access conditions.
Anti-requisite(s): 91359 Immunology 2
Description
Immunology and Human Health is designed to advance your understanding of the Immune system and to apply this knowledge to basic immunological research of human diseases. The immune system is composed of numerous cells and molecules that act in concert to maintain health, to overcome infection, prevent tumour growth and repair damaged tissues. The study of the immune system provides us with a fascinating insight into the relationship between animals, and the organisms that infect them (bacteria, viruses, protozoans and fungi). This subject provides a greater understanding of the complexity of the immune system and its responses to stresses such as infection. It demonstrates how modulation, or activation, of the immune system can either help overcome infection or may lead to autoimmune disease. Understanding the immune system gives us the potential to develop therapies to control events such as infection or autoimmune conditions. This subject helps students expand their understanding of current concepts in immunology and the potential application of applied immunology in medicine, research and industry.
Subject learning objectives (SLOs)
Upon successful completion of this subject students should be able to:
| 1. | Explain the relevance, role and responses of the immune system in human health, infection and disease |
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| 2. | Distinguish and describe the characteristics and functions of molecules and cells of the innate and adaptive immune systems and how they operate synergistically and antagonistically |
| 3. | Examine and apply strategies to modulate immune responses to improve human health in local and global contexts |
| 4. | Apply safe laboratory practices when isolating, characterising, and analysing immune cells and their function using blood, animal tissues, and cell products. |
| 5. | Acquire, analyse and critically evaluate scientific data from laboratory experiments and journal articles in the context of the immune system and latest immunological findings. Communicate these findings using oral and written approaches. |
Course intended learning outcomes (CILOs)
This subject also contributes specifically to the development of following course intended learning outcomes:
- Explain how diseases arise and disrupt normal physiological function and appraise the technologies used to diagnose, treat, and cure diseases. (1.1)
- Collect, accurately record, interpret, and draw conclusions from data to solve real-world medical problems, and infer how the results of medical research can be translated to improve patient outcomes. (2.1)
- Evaluate ethical, social, and cultural issues in medical science in local and global contexts and work responsibly, safely and with respect to diversity and regulatory frameworks. (3.1)
- Reflect upon, independently evaluate, and critically appraise current evidence-based literature to identify medical problems or unmet medical needs and creatively translate medical research results to improve the clinical care of patients. (4.1)
- Effectively communicate medical science knowledge and research information, and the importance thereof, to a range of audiences using a variety of modes, independently and collaboratively. (5.1)
Contribution to the development of graduate attributes
?1. Disciplinary knowledge
The principles, concepts and importance of immunological processes required to control and maintain health, including the resolution of infection, and development of autoimmune/inflammatory diseases are covered in workshops and practical classes. Practical skills in immunology are an important element of the practical application of the theoretical disciplinary knowledge. The subject will use and develop skills in being organised at the bench, in aseptic tissue culture in the dissection and isolation of organs and cells from mice, culture of macrophages, stimulation of immune cells and assessment of cellular composition and function by ELISA, flow cytometry and other biological assays. Proper and safe work practices in an immunology laboratory are stressed throughout by instruction and monitoring. Assessment of disciplinary knowledge and its appropriate application is embedded in all assessment tasks that will help you to develop a deeper understanding of the fundamental aspects to immunology in health and disease.
2. Research, inquiry and critical thinking
An inquiry based and critical thinking approach to research is fostered in workshops and practicals by frequent informal Q&A sessions that are designed to provoke inquiry and conceptual thinking. You will develop the ability to follow a line of scientific inquiry through hands on practical classes and evaluation of data. This will be assessed through the research report (Task 2), oral presentation of your journal article (Task 1), through your scientific report (Task 1) and completeness and correctness of answers in the practical manual and online quizzes (Task 3).
3. Professional, ethical, and social responsibility
Critical to scientific practice is the development of logical thought and problem-solving skills in experimental planning and execution, data generation, processing and analysis. During practical classes, you will develop competencies in common immunological tests and investigation of immune cell function. These will be assessed in Task 2. Ethical and professional conduct in science are learned through practical and workshop sessions. This includes discussion on the reasons against, and consequences of, data fabrication and plagiarism. Ethical issues and the social responsibility of scientists, pertinent to the use of animals in research and the commercialisation of immuno-therapeutics and vaccines are also discussed during workshops. Practical experiments will involve the dissection of deceased mice and use of animal tissue for research purposes. This will be assessed through practical reports in Task 2 and in your participation in group collaborative activities in Task 1.
4. Reflection, innovation, and creativity
The ability to make effective judgments about one's own work and that of peers will be developed through the collaborative workshop and practical sessions. You will be required to judge objectively the quality of both in silico and your group generated data and to assess and debate the future direction of research and implications from recent journal articles that your team will investigate. You will be given opportunities to reflect upon the performances of yourself and team members through a Sparkplus assessment relating to Task 1. The discipline of immunology is a relatively new field, whereby existing dogmas are continually challenged and reformulated as new data is obtained and exceptions to the accepted rules are discovered. During the workshops and practical sessions, you will be constantly challenged to consider different perspectives to situations and alternate strategies for solving problems. This will be assessed in Task 3 when you complete online quizzes and in Task 2 when you reflect on the data analysed and discuss options for future research.
5. Communication
Excellence in written scientific communication is a focus in this subject. These will be formally assessed in Task 1 and Task 2. Oral communication skills will be developed and practised during the workshops and practical sessions in which you will discuss and critically analyse data in teams, before completing tutorial and practical manuals. You will work in teams to research a given paper and your analysis of the background information, key findings and take home messages of your research paper will be delivered in a grouporal presentation in weeks 11 and 12 (Task 1).
Teaching and learning strategies
This subject is taught in a blended learning approach, with a combination of face-to-face (F2F) practicals and workshops as well as guest seminars from different immunology researchers describing their latest research. There will be learning material (including videos, PDFs, laboratory methods and practical material posted each week into the relevant Canvas module. Please consult the weekly checklist which outlines the activities and requirements for the week. Each week students will have a seminar and either a 2 hour tutorial/workshop or a 3 hour practical class. There will often be pre-work to be completed before each session.
Workshops: 2 hours x 6 weeks: You will discuss and investigate different facets of immunology, including the ethical use of animals in research, recent papers that advance the field, and the development of vaccines and the immunology of the COVID-19 pandemic. These sessions will include group work. For assessment Task 1, in groups, you will review a recent journal article in preparation for your oral presentation, discussing the immunological highlights. The oral presentations will be given in week 11 or 12.
Practical classes: 6 x 3 hours will be conducted in the HIVE laboratory and will involve hands-on approaches to learning. You will have a practical manual to guide you through your experiments and experienced Teaching Associates to assist, guide and offer feedback to you through the practical component of this subject. Practical sessions will including writing and analysis of data in the practical manual, a scientific report and quizzes that may include analysis of data generated in the practicals.
Weeks 4, 5 and 6 involve a multi-week practical class that you will write up and submit as a scientific report using the template and rubric provided. Data from other pracs will be assessed in quizzes.
Your practical manual, seminar slides, workshop notes, journal articles, and other learning resources will be made available to you through Canvas and OneNote. It is important to check Canvas regularly to receive updated material and announcements.
Content (topics)
This subject is designed to develop an advanced understanding of immunology by presenting a detailed analysis of the molecular and cellular processes involved in the immune response.
Practical sessions will enable you to learn and practice important immunological techniques commonly used in diagnostic and research laboratories, including isolation of bone marrow cells, differentiation into macrophages and analysis of macrophage function, testing of splenic cell subsets and growth and evaluation of immune cell subsets.
Workshop sessions involve discussion of ethical issues in animal and human experimentation.
The development of vaccines and analysis of data relating to the recent development and roll out of vaccines for COVID-19.
Investigation of autoimmune disease and the analysis of data sets generated for a project aimed at characterising the immune-modulatory effects of a novel parasite-derived molecule.
Assessment
Assessment task 1: Task 1: Recent Immunology Advance
| Intent: | This assessment task contributes to the developing of the following graduate attributes: 1. Disciplinary knowledge 2. Research, inquiry, and critical thinking 3. Professional, ethical, and social responsibility 4. Reflection, innovation, and creativity 5. Communication |
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| Objective(s): | This assessment task addresses subject learning objective(s): 1, 2 and 5 This assessment task contributes to the development of course intended learning outcome(s): 1.1, 2.1, 3.1, 4.1 and 5.1 |
| Type: | Presentation |
| Groupwork: | Group, group and individually assessed |
| Weight: | 30% |
| Length: | Group Presentation: 15 minute group oral presentation (10 minute presentation + 5 minutes questions). Individual Written Summary: Written summary of two figures from the research artcle your group is presenting (2 pages maximum, not including the selected figures and associated figure legends). |
| Criteria: | 1. Presentation and discussion of the main concept that underpin the article and relevant background information. 2. Evidence of critical analyses of assigned reading and its role in advancing the field. 3. Inclusion of appropriate information from assigned research article to highlight main findings. 4. Critical evaluation of any flaws and questions raised by the research. 5. Presentation of ideas and findings and insightful answering of questions associated with the presentation. 6. SPARK plus assessment of your contribution and the contribution of your group to the assessment. More detailed information on preparation of the presentation and the marking rubric will be discussed in the workshops/tutorials and will also be posted on CANVAS. |
Assessment task 2: Task 2: Practical Experimentation, Data Analysis and Results Reporting
| Intent: | This assessment task contributes to the following graduate attributes: 1. Disciplinary knowledge 2. Research, inquiry, and critical thinking 3. Professional, ethical, and social responsibility 4. Reflection, innovation, and creativity 5. Communication |
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| Objective(s): | This assessment task addresses subject learning objective(s): 1, 2, 4 and 5 This assessment task contributes to the development of course intended learning outcome(s): 1.1, 2.1, 3.1, 4.1 and 5.1 |
| Type: | Laboratory/practical |
| Groupwork: | Group, individually assessed |
| Weight: | 40% |
| Length: | Scientific report of the macrophage inflammatory experiment that runs across weeks 4, 5 and 6 (40%). |
| Criteria: | 1. Preparation and completion of practical experiments and accurate reporting and analysis of results from practical sessions. 2. Evaluation, interpretation and discussion of data generated in practical sessions in the scientific report (rubric will be provided). More detailed information on preparation of the laboratory data sheets, reports, marking criteria and the marking rubric will be discussed in practical classes and posted on CANVAS. |
Assessment task 3: Task 3: Online Quizzes
| Intent: | This assessment task contributes to the developing of the following graduate attributes: 1. Disciplinary knowledge 2. Research, inquiry, and critical thinking 3. Professional, ethical, and social responsibility 4. Reflection, innovation, and creativity 5. Communication |
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| Objective(s): | This assessment task addresses subject learning objective(s): 1, 3 and 5 This assessment task contributes to the development of course intended learning outcome(s): 1.1, 2.1 and 5.1 |
| Type: | Quiz/test |
| Groupwork: | Individual |
| Weight: | 30% |
| Length: | Each quiz must be completed in a single sitting within the assigned time limit (20-30 minutes). |
| Criteria: | 1. Correct answers to questions. 2. Accurate reporting and analysis of results from practical sessions. 3. Evaluation, interpretation and discussion of data generated in practical sessions. |
Minimum requirements
In order to pass this subject you must obtain an overall mark of 50% or more.