Day one of ASK BIO workshop was great! I learned a lot and have met incredible people! Tonight, I watched the ASMCUE 2022 Microbrew entitled “Microbrew. Immunoreach: An Activity That Investigates Immune System Scaling.” Sam Elliot and Cynthia Downs presented on an activity they created with the Immunoreach group. Elliot wanted to make connections between immunology and other areas. They described the challenge of “bringing in” immunology. Along with Downs, they thought about scaling. They both created a multipart activity that can be done in a classroom or even aspects can be implemented in the lab. They have field tested this activity once. The activity starts with a case study of Tusko the elephant. There is a memorable experiment in which Tusko was given LSD. They use the activity to introduce mammalian immune systems in mice, humans, and elephants. Students learn about functional categories of immune cells (phagocytes, granulocytes, and lymphocytes). Students also learn about immune cell morphology and counts. Participants are given a dataset and graphs from the study. Students calculate some measurements and share. In the near future, they will create visuals of cell smears and presentations. The idea of scaling and connecting central concepts between disciplines is important to consider. Immunoreach has taken several steps forward.
