Unit 1 Biology 

Explore Immunology at GTAC

On Thursday, 22 May 2025, a group of Unit 1 Biology students (consisting of Year 10 Accelerated Biology and Year 11) attended a day at GTAC (Gene Technology Access Centre). This event was organised to recognise and acknowledge World Day of Immunology.

This special event program was a collaboration between the Australian and New Zealand Society of Immunology.

The day commenced with a keynote lecture from Associate Professor Sophie Valenburg, Lab Head at the University of Melbourne Doherty Institute of Infection and Immunity. Sophie gave a “crash course” on how the human immune system works.

Following this, the students engaged in three different workshops:

• Bioinformatics – This session covered how we can use computers to store, manage, and analyse large amounts of biological data. Students explored the spike proteins on the surface of the Coronavirus and examined the various binding sites on human and other animal cells. They were looking for infection risk, leading to discussions around what we can do to reduce the spread.
• Putting the immunology under the microscope – This session explored the differences between healthy and diseased cells in an arthritic knee and a diseased spleen. Using a microscope, students learned how to distinguish between healthy and diseased tissue.
• Bonding with your antigens – This session explored how we test to see if a person has been exposed to an antigen. Students learnt how to use micropipettes to perform an ELISA (Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay) test.

Thank you to all the staff and STEM Coaches at GTAC for their generosity in sharing their time and knowledge with our students.