Understanding the Molecular and Cellular Components of the Immune Response in Health and Disease

1) Demonstrate understanding of the molecular and cellular components of the immune response in health and disease

2) Demonstrate the ability to analyse the role of inappropriately functioning immune responses in disease

What am I required to do in this assignment?

• You will submit a report that summarises your analysis of results from CH50 assays to determine the complement activity of ‘unknown’ serum samples. You will analyse experimental data as specified
• You are expected to outline the reasons for the experimental tests performed, describe the results and discuss the immunology behind the data. Your report should include references from the scientific literature
• Your report should be structured like a scientific journal article and should be submitted via BREO
• You must ensure that your report is written in your own words AND that all information is cited/referenced appropriately. Do not copy from fellow students, students in other year groups, friends, lecturers, websites, books, journal articles etc. Plagiarism of any kind will not be tolerated. This includes colluding with others submitting this same assessment, which is a serious academic offence.

What do I need to do to pass? (Threshold Expectations from UIF)

• Produce a scientific report according to expectations described in this assignment brief
• Demonstrate understanding of relevant laboratory immunological techniques in the report

2) Demonstrate the ability to analyse the role of inappropriately functioning immune responses in disease

• Show understanding of the role of the immune system in protection against pathogens

How do I produce high quality work that merits a good grade? Cover all points in this brief, paying attention to the criteria table at the end.

The information below explains the basic structure and requirements of your written report. Further specific guidance will be provided on BREO.

Your report should contain: Title page, Introduction, Aim, Results, Discussion and a Reference list. Each section should be clearly labelled. Clarity of English and professional presentation is essential throughout. Your report should be fully referenced with citations (a) within the text and (b) in full at the end in a bibliography.

1) Introduction

Introduce the immunology of complement and the assay so that your reader will be able to understand the content of your report. Cover the following:

• Describe the complement cascade, the ways in which it can be activated and its functions
• Some information on the role of complement in health and disease to contextualise the patient histories you’ve been provided with
• Explain the principle of the CH50 assay and its uses. Explain why serum samples are tested in this way

2) Aim

Briefly state the aim of the experiment. Describe what was tested and why.

See the protocol and tutorial slides on BREO for guidance on data analysis. You must perform this by yourself, do not share files with or

copy from other students. Any reports with high similarity scores will be investigated for collusion.

• You MUST include a few sentences of text to begin your Results section. Briefly recap what was done and why to aid the reader’s understanding of the data you will show them in this section
• Calculate and display the results for the Reference Serum, Serum X and Serum Y in clear, labelled table/s. Tables should all have a short caption/legend immediately above
• All tabulated data should be described in a short paragraph of text (approx. 200 words). This text is not the same as the table titles
• Using Excel, construct clear, labelled graph/s displaying volume undiluted serum against % lysis for the Reference Serum, Serum X
• After the graphs, include a short paragraph of text (approx. 200 words) that describes each graph and states the CH50 values obtained. Remember that paragraphs of text are different to the graph figure legends: see journal articles for an idea of format
• Ensure that you calculate and state the number of CH50 units/ml of the Reference Serum, Serum X and Serum Y. If one or more CH50 values cannot be derived, state this in your text – it might tell you something important about the serum!

5) Discussion

Your Discussion section should consider the meaning of the results with reference to your aim, the complement cascade and its function, and the use of the CH50 test. You may like to consider the following points:

• What doesthe assay measure? What happened as serum concentration increased? Discuss the data in the context of the immunology of complement activation for the Reference Serum, which illustrates normal function. As part of this explanation you MUST include a labelled hand-drawn and scanned scientific diagram showing the immunology of the CH50 assay. The diagram/s should show the antigen:antibody complex and should clearly illustrate the relevant steps in the complement cascade that led to MAC formation and lysis of the RBC. How you do this is your choice and the way you choose to present this diagram is part of the assessment of your understanding! Please ensure that any drawings are fully legible, a good size and not shadowed or dark if you photograph them! Ensure that you reference the source of your info in the legend to your diagram, if appropriate
• Compare the CH50 results for Sera X and Y to the results from the Reference Serum. What do you conclude from your data about Serum X and Y, and what are the implications for patients X and Y? If one or more patients has a malfunctional complement cascade, what diseases might they suffer from? Does this fit with the patient history? Comment on the role of complement in relevant or related disease, ensuring that you reference scientific information.
• Evaluate the method and your data analysis. How could the assay be improved? How is complement function analysed in scientific research or in Biomedical labs? Compare your analysis examples of complement testing that have been published in scientific journals.

Aim to include at least five primary journal articles in your reference list. Please do not reference generic secondary/tertiary web sources such as Wikipedia, NHS or hospital websites, eMedicine, webMD etc – these are general/generic and are not always clearly peer-reviewed sources.

You MUST NOT copy/paste any text from any sources, even if you cite the source. This includes other students, past and present, material online, on BREO etc. You must write about what you have read in your own words – this is very important. Copying from any sources, with or without references is plagiarism, or collusion. Paraphrasing other people’s words without adequate referencing is plagiarism. Failing to reference the correct author/s is also a form of plagiarism. Do not risk an academic offence penalty for plagiarism. If you are at all unsure, complete the AIR ‘Get Referencing Right’ interactive resource, which you can access from the BREO homepage. Alternatively contact Study Hub for individual guidance.

How does this assignment relate to what we are doing in scheduled sessions?

• This during this assessment will study the function of one of the major effectors of immunity
• You will have received material relevant to this on BREO and in prior teaching sessions
• This assessment will allow you to demonstrate your understanding of relevant immunological techniques and the role of the molecular and cellular components of the immune response in health and disease
• Your report should demonstrate your capability to appropriately present and analyse scientific data, by using scientific language and IT resources to effectively communicate your findings
• Your discussion should provide evidence of your ability to analyse the role of inappropriately functioning immune responses in disease and illness and to place this in context, showing your understanding of the immunology