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Teaching Undergraduates Pharmacology using Flow Cytometry
Author(s) -
Stoyan Tanja,
Zhang Xin,
Hoo Linda Soo,
Williams Melanie,
Thrower Doug,
Vandenberg Carol
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.22.1_supplement.574.4
Subject(s) - flow cytometry , computer science , multimedia , medical physics , medicine , immunology
The flow cytometer is a mainstream instrument for analyzing cells and is widely used in research and clinical laboratories. However, its use in the teaching laboratory has been limited due to instrument cost and extensive training required. As a result, few biology and pharmacology students understand how this instrument works and how to interpret the data it generates. We have used a new generation flow cytometer to teach senior level undergraduate students basic principles of pharmacology. Based on protocols by Diane Fishwild et al. (2004, Guava Technologies, Inc.), we have developed two exercises for the teaching laboratory that study the effects of drugs on human cancer cells. In the first exercise students screen a library of 80 anti‐cancer and anti‐inflammatory drugs for their ability to induce apoptosis or cytotoxicity in human Jurkat cells. In a second computer‐based exercise, the students determine the EC50 values of different drugs with raw data generated by a flow cytometer. Besides learning the principles of flow cytometry, students learn to analyze large data files with intuitive flow cytometry analysis software, to organize scientific data in tables and graphs, and to draw scientific conclusions from their findings. We show that the flow cytometer is an excellent teaching tool, and that a new generation of user friendly instruments has made it easy to use the technique in the undergraduate laboratory.