Snake Bite Science: Advances in Antivenom

Millions of people are bit by venomous snakes every year, causing severe harm and fatalities through the diverse and complex toxicities of snake venom. Snakebite envenoming is primarily treated using antivenoms produced from animal-derived antibodies. While antivenoms are effective, they…

Using the ELISA to Detect West Nile Virus

Looking for a way to keep your immunology or virology lessons fresh?  Consider teaching the lesson from a biomedical diagnostic point of view!  Here, we describe how the West Nile Virus can be used to teach the Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (or ELISA). What…

Develop an affinity for science!

What is an antibody? Antibodies (also called immunoglobulins, or Igs) are specialized proteins that allow the immune system to distinguish between “self” and “non-self” proteins or polysaccharides.    Antibody molecules comprise four linked polypeptide chains: two “heavy chains” and two “light…