This award provides funds to the Department of Microbiology at the University of Alabama for the continuation and improvement of laboratory instruction in two related courses: Immunology Laboratory, and Cell Culture and Hybridoma Technology. Both courses are intensive project-based laboratory experiences designed to demonstrate the underlying principles of many modern laboratory procedures. The unreliability or unavailability of appropriate equipment endangers the continuation and improvement of the well- established Immunology Laboratory and the continuation beyond its initial trial offering of the newly created hybridoma course. Equipment to be purchased with this award includes: two cell culture work stations (laminar flow biological safety cabinet, inverted phase contrast microscope, waterbath) and a double- chambered water-jacketed CO2 incubator for Cell Culture and Hybridoma Technology; and four UV/visible spectrophotometers, polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis equipment, and a low-speed high- volume refrigerated centrifuge for Immunology Laboratory. The combination of these two courses will provide students with an introduction to modern immunologic techniques followed by the applications of these techniques to the specialized field of production and use of monoclonal antibodies. While the number of students that will complete this training is relatively low, the intensity of training is very high. In addition, the equipment will impact upon a larger number of students in lower division courses through the introduction of new demonstrations and expanded experiments and will enhance the undergraduate research program. The grantee is matching this award with funds from non-Federal sources.
