Outline

Overview

Immunology is the study of defence mechanisms that protect individuals against infections and cancers. Studies in immunology are leading advances in clinical medicine, including understanding allergies, transplant rejection, cancer and autoimmune diseases, as well as the development of new vaccines. In this unit you will explore the essential features of the immune system at the molecular and cellular level, the mechanisms of pathological immune processes and immune system dysfunction, mechanisms of immune responses to microorganisms and immunological techniques used in clinical diagnostic and research laboratories. Practical and tutorial sessions are designed to illustrate particular concepts introduced in other face-to-face activities. Further self-directed learning activities, including online learning activities, will facilitate integratino of fundamental information and help you apply this knowledge to the ways in which the host organism fights disease. Consequently, you will develop skills in problem-solving, evaluation of scientific literature, as well as oral and written communication skills. Upon completion, you will have developed the skills required to follow a career in medical research, clinical and diagnostic services and/or the corporate system that supports the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of disease.

Unit details and rules

Unit code	INIM5111
Academic unit	Infectious Diseases and Immunology
Credit points	6
Prohibitions ?	None
Prerequisites ?	None
Corequisites ?	None
Assumed knowledge ?	Undergraduate immunology and undergraduate bacteriology and virology
Available to study abroad and exchange students	No

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Scott Stimpson, scott.stimpson@sydney.edu.au

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length
Final exam (Record+)	Online Final Exam MCQ/SAQ	50%	Formal exam period	2 hours
Outcomes assessed:
Online task	Pre-prac quizzes MCQ, non-written elements	5%	Multiple weeks	5 minutes
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Practical report Report based on work in practical classes	15%	STUVAC	5 pages
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Title and abstract written task Written Task	10%	Week 07	250 words
Outcomes assessed:
Tutorial quiz	Online In-semester MCQ In-semester MCQ Quiz	10%	Week 09	45 Minutes
Outcomes assessed:
Presentation	Nobel Laureate Introduction Oral presentation	10%	Week 12	8 Minutes
Outcomes assessed:
= Type B final exam ?

Assessment summary

n/a

Assessment criteria

The University awards common result grades, set out in the Coursework Policy 2014 (Schedule 1).

As a general guide, a high distinction indicates work of an exceptional standard, a distinction a very high standard, a credit a good standard, and a pass an acceptable standard.

Result name	Mark range	Description
High distinction	85 - 100
Distinction	75 - 84
Credit	65 - 74
Pass	50 - 64
Fail	0 - 49	When you don’t meet the learning outcomes of the unit to a satisfactory standard.

For more information see sydney.edu.au/students/guide-to-grades.

For more information see guide to grades.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

Academic integrity

The Current Student website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

We use similarity detection software to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breach. If such matches indicate evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breaches, your teacher is required to report your work for further investigation.

You may only use artificial intelligence and writing assistance tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator, and if you do use them, you must also acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section.

Studiosity is permitted for postgraduate units unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission.

Learning support

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

Weekly schedule

WK	Topic	Learning activity
Week 01	Introduction to unit and Fundamentals of innate and adaptive immunity.	Workshop (4 hr)
Week 02	Introduction to microscopy and Immunology lab techniques.	Practical (4 hr)
Week 03	Antibody-antigen interactions, Resuscitate unknown cell line + ELISA set-up.	Practical (4 hr)
Week 04	Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) + cell culture.	Practical (4 hr)
Week 05	How do T and B cells see antigen?	Workshop (4 hr)
Week 06	Antibody purification + SDS-PAGE.	Practical (4 hr)
Week 07	Immunofluorescent staining of lymphoid tissue.	Practical (4 hr)
Week 08	Immunofluorescent staining analysis.	Practical (4 hr)
Week 09	Activation of T and B cells.	Workshop (4 hr)
Week 10	Mouse dissection, spleen cell isolation and Flow cytometry.	Practical (4 hr)
Week 11	Results analysis and interpretation: Assignment preparation.	Practical (4 hr)
Week 12	Workshop/Oral Presentations	Workshop (4 hr)
Week 13	Oral Presentations and Exam prep workshop.	Workshop (4 hr)

Attendance and class requirements

Attendance: Satisfactory attendance at all tutorials and practical
classes is a requirement to pass this course. For Prinicples in Immunology, satisfactory attendance is defined as ≥ 85% which means that if you miss more than 3 workshop/practical classes without approved special consideration for illness or misadventure, you will not be allowed to pass this unit of study. A roll will be taken of attendance to all classes (workshops and practicals).

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Required readings

All readings for this unit can be accessed through the Library eReserve, available on Canvas.

Abul K Abbas, Andrew H Lichtman & Shiv Pillai. Basic Immunology: Functions and Disorders of the Immune System. 5th Ed. 2016.

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

Outcomes
Graduate qualities

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

LO1. Title and Abstract Written assessment task will allow you to: Have successfully read and understood an immunology-based scientific article. Have gained valuable experience in writing a coherent and concise summary (abstract) of a body of scientific work. Understand what makes a title of a paper informative, Interesting, and intriguing
LO2. The oral presentation task will: • Give you valuable experience presenting to a lay audience • To expose you to the scientific achievements of your speaker • To give you an appreciation of the importance of immunology research to both the scientific and general community as it pertains to human disease
LO3. The in semester online MCQ is designed to: • ensure that you are on top of the theory material • To provide you with the opportunity to discover the areas of immunology that your knowledge might be deficient in • Provide you with valuable experience in MCQs in preparation for your final exam
LO4. The pre-prac quizzes will: • Allow you to gather, evaluate and deploy information relevant to a scientific problem • Demonstrate flexibility in adapting to new situations and dealing with uncertainty
LO5. Practical assignment will: • Acquire a body of evidence that you will analyse, collate and write up as a journal article. • Provide you with the knowledge and skills to discern scientific literature • Develop and create a cohesive scientific argument and explanation • Learn how to design results, figures, images and text into appropriate scientific formats.
LO6. The Final exam will assess your knowledge will require you to be familiar with the material covered in the 4 Immunology themes: –Theme 1: Basic Concepts in Immunology –Theme 2: Getting the Immune System Started –Theme 3: Keeping the Immune System Going to keep us Healthy –Theme 4: The Immune System as a Weapon
LO7. Participation in the unit give you valuable experience in how to: Write and speak effectively in a range of contexts and for a variety of different audiences and purposes. Use symbolic and non-verbal communication, such as pictures, icons and symbols as well as body language and facial expressions, effectively. Your lecturers and tutors will be an excellent source of inspiration in this regard. Present and interpret immunological data or other scientific information using graphs, tables, figures and symbols. Work as a member of a team, and take individual responsibility within the group for developing and achieving group goals.Take a leadership role in successfully influencing the activities of a group towards a common goal. Actively seek, identify, and collaborate with others in a professional and social context.

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1	Depth of disciplinary expertise Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.
GQ2	Critical thinking and problem solving Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.
GQ3	Oral and written communication Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.
GQ4	Information and digital literacy Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.
GQ5	Inventiveness Generating novel ideas and solutions.
GQ6	Cultural competence Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.
GQ7	Interdisciplinary effectiveness Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.
GQ8	Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.
GQ9	Influence Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes	Graduate qualities
Learning outcomes

Responding to student feedback

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

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Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.

Current students

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect

Current students

INIM5111: Principles in Immunology

Semester 1, 2021 [Normal day] - Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect