Program Structure

Module 1: Immunology Lab Foundations (Bench Discipline)

• Experimental design in immunology: hypothesis, readouts, and controls.
• Immune samples: blood, PBMCs, tissues—what changes in processing.
• Contamination control and biosafety basics (bench habits that matter).
• Documentation: lab notebooks, sample labeling, and traceability.

Module 2: Immune Cell Isolation, Culture & Stimulation

• PBMC isolation concept (density gradient) and cell viability checks.
• Cell culture essentials: media, sterility, cell counting, viability staining.
• Stimulation strategies: antigen, mitogens, cytokines (why each is used).
• Choosing time points and doses to avoid misleading readouts.

Module 3: Immunoassays (ELISA, Multiplex, and Antibody-Based Detection)

• ELISA workflow: sandwich vs indirect concept, standards, and QC.
• Interpreting cytokine data: dynamic range, background, and outliers.
• Multiplex assays overview: when to use them and common pitfalls.
• Antibody validation mindset: specificity, cross-reactivity, and controls.

Module 4: Flow Cytometry (Core Skill for Immune Profiling)

• Flow cytometry basics: fluorophores, compensation concept, and panel logic.
• Gating strategy: singlets → live cells → lineage markers → functional markers.
• Panel design thinking: marker selection, brightness, spillover awareness (overview).
• Common errors: bad gates, poor controls, and over-interpretation.

Module 5: Functional Immunology Assays (What Immune Cells Actually Do)

• Proliferation assays overview (CFSE concept) and readout interpretation.
• Cytotoxicity assays: CTL/NK function and killing readouts (overview).
• Phagocytosis and oxidative burst concepts for innate immune function.
• Neutralization assays concept: antibodies that block infection (overview).

Module 6: Antigen-Specific Immune Response Studies

• Antigen selection and peptide pools concept (why design matters).
• Intracellular cytokine staining (ICS) workflow concept.
• ELISpot overview: when it’s preferred and how results are interpreted.
• Memory vs effector responses: choosing markers and time points.

Module 7: Immune Profiling for Discovery (Biomarkers & Translational Thinking)

• What qualifies as an immune biomarker: repeatability + clinical relevance.
• Immune signatures: inflammation, exhaustion, activation, suppression.
• Linking immune profiling to therapy response (vaccines, immunotherapy, infection).
• Study design basics: cohorts, confounders, and batch effects (overview).

Module 8: Advanced & Emerging Methods (Overview)

• Single-cell immune profiling overview: why it’s powerful and complex.
• CyTOF concept (mass cytometry) and high-dimensional immune phenotyping.
• Spatial immunology overview: tissue context and microenvironment insight.
• Multi-omics integration concept: linking immune phenotypes to transcriptomics/proteomics.

Module 9: Data Interpretation, QC & Troubleshooting

• Signal vs noise: biological variation vs technical artifacts.
• QC checklists for ELISA, flow, and cell assays.
• Troubleshooting common failures: low viability, high background, weak signal.
• Reporting results: figures, methods transparency, and limitations.

Final Project

• Design a Bench-to-Discovery Immunology Workflow for a chosen research question.
• Include: sample plan, assays, controls, expected readouts, QC checks, and how results support discovery.
• Example projects: vaccine response profiling plan, inflammation biomarker discovery workflow, immune exhaustion profiling in cancer, cytokine storm investigation plan.