Immunology-Focused Field Trip
Students in Biology-395 Immunology course have been learning about how immune systems develop, how they respond to infection, and how that immune response itself can cause disease (autoimmune disease).
On April 28, 2017, Biology-395 Immunology instructor Shannon Hinsa-Leasure, associate professor of biology at Grinnell College, took her students on a field trip to the University of Iowa to learn about current research being conducted in two immunology laboratories. The research of John Houtman, associate professor of microbiology at the University of Iowa, is focused on understanding the mechanism of T cell receptor activation in immune responses to infection in order to provide potential treatments for diseases of the immune system. Ashutosh Mangalam, assistant professor of pathology at the University of Iowa, studies gut microbiome to better understand its role in and discover treatments for autoimmune inflammatory diseases, such as multiple sclerosis.
Since there is no laboratory component associated with this course, the field trip allowed students to see what types of equipment and techniques are used in immunology laboratories.
Photo caption: Mangalam explains some of his research before taking students of Biology-395 Immunology into his laboratory.
Photo caption: Houtman demonstrates some of the equipment in his laboratory for students of Biology-395 Immunology.
