Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)

Blood sample processing

This SOP describes processing blood samples from donors to isolate plasma, peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), and fixed whole blood for storage. Blood samples can be from volunteer donors or buffy coat blood samples from Australian Red Cross Life Blood donors.

Stimulation of PBMC/Spleen/Tonsil cells using Activation Induced Marker (AIM) assay

This SOP provides a guide for stimulating PBMC/Spleen/Tonsil cells and measuring activation-induced markers (AIMs) to determine antigen-specific response. PBMC/Spleen/Tonsil samples are stimulated with Plasmodium-parasitised red blood cells (pRBCs) to investigate malaria-specific cellular response.

In vitro culturing of Plasmodium falciparum parasites

This SOP describes the process of the continuous in vitro culturing of Plasmodium falciparum erythrocytic stages in human red blood cells (RBCs).

Cell Stimulation Assay

This SOP describes the process of stimulating human whole blood ex vivo, or cryopreserved PMBC, spleen, and/or tonsil cells.

Ex vivo cell staining

This SOP provides guide for ex vivo fluorescent cell staining of cryopreserved human PBMC/Spleen/Tonsil cells. The cell staining involves staining process for cell surface and intracellular markers labelled with fluorochrome-conjugated antibodies. Cell markers can be used to identify cell subsets based on lineage, differentiation state, and function.

PBMC Thawing

Cryopreserved PBMC/Spleen/Tonsils cells are sensitive to the thawing processes. To ensure optimal cell recovery and viability, thaw protocols are optimised.

In vitro culture of Human Tonsil/Spleen Organoids from cell suspension

This SOP provides a guide for the generation of in vitro organoids using human tonsil/spleen cell suspensions. Here, tonsils or spleen organoids will be used as in vitro functional systems that mimic key features of the germinal centres in vivo.

Create cell suspension from Human Tonsils

This SOP describes the process of isolating cells from tonsils, followed by storage in liquid nitrogen.