Scientists have the tools and knowledge to develop safe, effective vaccines, from trials to vials. This resource addresses the process by which vaccines are designed, tested and regulated. Key concepts include 1. Mechanisms of immune recognition for SARS CoV 2 2. Vaccines vs therapeutics 3. Vaccine types and sources - nucleic acid, viral vector and attenuated/inactive vaccines 4. Vaccine development pipeline 5. Exploratory research and vaccine design for SARS-CoV-2 - spike protein target 6. Vaccine production 7. Testing and clinical trials 8. Challenge trials 9. Regulatory review and approval

Immunology is relevant to our everyday lives, driving a need for more engaging and inclusive undergraduate immunology education. One way to engage a diverse group of learners is by teaching them how to read and interpret the scientific literature. This introduction can be challenging for immunology research, which often includes jargon and significant background information. The lesson described here meets this challenge by first teaching students the basics of reading a journal article. Students then read a seminal research article in the field and discuss the data and conclusions via think-pair-share in the classroom. This lesson teaches students the overall structure of a journal article, how to read a journal article, and the ability to read and interpret a research article’s findings. Additionally, students learn specifically about the organization and expression of the genes encoding B-cell receptors.

Primary Image: Image portrays the computer a student will use to read the literature while thinking about the B-cell receptor (shown here in secreted form as antibodies). Image was created using BioRender.

Flow Cytometry