Teaching Basic Immunology Using Flow Cytometry

Abstract

The flow cytometer is a mainstream instrument for analyzing cells being widely used in research and clinical laboratories. However, its use in the teaching laboratory has been limited due to instrument cost and extensive training required. In recent years, a new generation of flow cytometers has become available and these are easier to operate than older models and require less training. We have used such a flow cytometer (Guava Technologies, Inc) and find that it is an ideal instrument for teaching senior level undergraduate students basic techniques in immunology. Specifically, we have developed a quantitative exercise whereby students compare the distributions of CD4, CD8 and CD3 receptors expressed on mouse thymus and spleen cells. Students isolate cells from sacrificed animals, prepare cell suspensions, and stain cells with fluorochrome‐conjugated antibodies following standard protocols. They then acquire data on the flow cytometer, and analyze the data with user friendly, intuitive software. Besides learning the principles of flow cytometry and using the computer software, students learn to organize their scientific data in tables and graphs that allow them to draw scientific conclusions from their findings. We show that the new generation of user‐friendly flow cytometers make an excellent teaching tool for undergraduate laboratory instruction.