UoM General Chat

[simpak]

If the T cell is activated it will proliferate and produce more cells of the same specificity and will also differentiate to produce different T cell subsets (in the case of CD4+ cells).  If you keep having infections with something similar you should be better off!  The memory cells will respond more quickly and vigorously to that infection and because the memory cells are more frequent in number it would be unlikely you would 'run out'.  Contraction should never eliminate all of the cells so even if cells are antigen-experienced they can deal with the recurrent infections.  If you have a chronic infection, however, T cells can become exhausted and lose their effector functions to make them less efficient which is almost like them running out temporarily - people have tried to show that replenishment with new naive cells from the thymus is essential in this case but I'm not sure how many have been successful (it is however in the interest of my own research questions for their studies to have been successful so if you find any evidence to support it let me know )

T cells would distinguish self antigens from non-self because they form different 3D structures when the self peptides are expressed on MHC.  B cells do have a screening process in the BM and the T cell screening process occurs in the thymus as you have suggested.  This is definitely dependent on MHC...I don't know how much detail you need to know (presumably not much) but basically if the cell binds very strongly to a self antigen:MHC complex on the epithelial cells in the thymus it will be deleted.  Therefore no cells specific to that self antigen will be present in the periphery and it would be impossible for the immune system as a whole to 'recognise' that antigen as there simply isn't a cell that binds to it (unlike for foreign antigens).  The selection process for T cells in the thymus is more complex than for B cells but a similar percentage of T cells will also be deleted during their development.

[vox nihili]

If the T cell is activated it will proliferate and produce more cells of the same specificity and will also differentiate to produce different T cell subsets (in the case of CD4+ cells).  If you keep having infections with something similar you should be better off!  The memory cells will respond more quickly and vigorously to that infection and because the memory cells are more frequent in number it would be unlikely you would 'run out'.  Contraction should never eliminate all of the cells so even if cells are antigen-experienced they can deal with the recurrent infections.  If you have a chronic infection, however, T cells can become exhausted and lose their effector functions to make them less efficient which is almost like them running out temporarily - people have tried to show that replenishment with new naive cells from the thymus is essential in this case but I'm not sure how many have been successful (it is however in the interest of my own research questions for their studies to have been successful so if you find any evidence to support it let me know )

T cells would distinguish self antigens from non-self because they form different 3D structures when the self peptides are expressed on MHC.  B cells do have a screening process in the BM and the T cell screening process occurs in the thymus as you have suggested.  This is definitely dependent on MHC...I don't know how much detail you need to know (presumably not much) but basically if the cell binds very strongly to a self antigen:MHC complex on the epithelial cells in the thymus it will be deleted.  Therefore no cells specific to that self antigen will be present in the periphery and it would be impossible for the immune system as a whole to 'recognise' that antigen as there simply isn't a cell that binds to it (unlike for foreign antigens).  The selection process for T cells in the thymus is more complex than for B cells but a similar percentage of T cells will also be deleted during their development.

Free to do a MCB exam for me Tuesday? I'll play with your mice whilst you're there!

[simpak]

Free to write this ridiculous 'pretend grant proposal' on bacterial genomics for me?  I would legit happily trade.  I hate this assignment so much.
I wish you guys would have been taught by Brooksy for MCB Immuno!  I feel like you would find it so much more enjoyable ):

[Jono_CP]

I am completely obsessed with the UoM Bachelor of Arts course, so forgive me if I continue to pester with my many questions...

Did anyone get into this course with a score below 90? I have a SEAS so hopefully that helps a little. I will be around the mid-high 80's but 90's I'm not sure. Heck, I might get into the 50's for all I know...

Feedback would be appreciated, thanks!

[simpak]

If you're eligible for Access Melb you can get in to Arts with 78+...do you have rural or financial disadvantagement categories?

[Holmes]

Thanks Simpak, and good luck with your thesis. It sounds really interesting, and one day (in the coming years, when I'll be able to understand it) I shall love to read it (would I be allowed to read it, or do they hide them away or something?).

[simpak]

Haha they bind them and then distribute them to current Honours students as kind of guiding tools.  If you're in the department you're definitely allowed to read them.  I secured some from PhD students in my lab and then taunted them over their Acknowledgements page.

[Jono_CP]

If you're eligible for Access Melb you can get in to Arts with 78+...do you have rural or financial disadvantagement categories?

Nah unfortunately not, and I am aware of the above ^. It would be for depression/mental illness category, alas the ATAR would only get marked up by 1-3 points which is bullocks. Getting over 92 is sooo daunting...

[vox nihili]

Free to write this ridiculous 'pretend grant proposal' on bacterial genomics for me?  I would legit happily trade.  I hate this assignment so much.
I wish you guys would have been taught by Brooksy for MCB Immuno!  I feel like you would find it so much more enjoyable ):

Yet instead we got Odilia and now none of us are going to do Immuno.

OK, not really convinced that's the case. Some people really enjoyed it. I kind of liked that [finally] we learned the overall picture. Normally it's just dumbed down and simplified so you never learn how it all connects; now at least we've got a picture.

[Shenz0r]

Yet instead we got Odilia and now none of us are going to do Immuno.

OK, not really convinced that's the case. Some people really enjoyed it. I kind of liked that [finally] we learned the overall picture. Normally it's just dumbed down and simplified so you never learn how it all connects; now at least we've got a picture.

Odilla read off her slides but I don't think it's deterred me from doing Micro/Immuno, simply fascinating stuff. It incorporates so much from other fields too.

Infections & Immunity has probably been my favourite part of MCB so far

[vox nihili]

Odilla read off her slides but I don't think it's deterred me from doing Micro/Immuno, simply fascinating stuff. It incorporates so much from other fields too.

Infections & Immunity has probably been my favourite part of MCB so far

Yeah look I can't actually disagree with you there, it was pretty cool and I didn't mind the stuff we were learning. Annoyingly though, it's turned out to be my lowest scoring section and completely paradoxically Biochem my best. The world has gone crazy.

[simpak]

Nah unfortunately not, and I am aware of the above ^. It would be for depression/mental illness category, alas the ATAR would only get marked up by 1-3 points which is bullocks. Getting over 92 is sooo daunting...

I have a friend that applied with similar SEAS and a below 90 ATAR and she is just about to finish her BA.
However this was back in 2009.
Stay strong and keep aiming high, hopefully you can reach your goal!

Infections & Immunity has probably been my favourite part of MCB so far

Yayyyy do a MIIM major DO IT

[kaybee94]

micro/immuno has been by far one of the most interesting things but definitely the most complicated thing i've learnt in bio at uni so far

[VivaTequila]

micro/immuno has been by far one of the most interesting things but definitely the most complicated thing i've learnt in bio at uni so far

What sort of topics do you learn? What is it like?

Doing Medicinal Chem, I don't really get to do many bio subjects. It's all chem and pharmacology, which is just a slightly different world. I would only glance on that stuff I imagine when I engage with it in research. I have much less bio in my course, never doing anything past 1st year and human phys.

[kaybee94]

What sort of topics do you learn? What is it like?

Doing Medicinal Chem, I don't really get to do many bio subjects. It's all chem and pharmacology, which is just a slightly different world. I would only glance on that stuff I imagine when I engage with it in research. I have much less bio in my course, never doing anything past 1st year and human phys.

so far its more or less an extension on year 1 biology of immune system. We learn more about bacteria and viruses and their pathogenesis and virulence and how they're classified. More in depth knowledge about innate and adaptive immune systems and how they function together in co-ordination rather than just learning about them as separate responses. Also did a bit of how pathogens developing ways to evade immune system and a bit of antibiotics and antiviral drugs