Introducing Immunofluorescence Microscopy of <i>Tetrahymena</i> Cells in a Cell Biology Teaching Lab

Immunofluorescence (IF) microscopy is an essential technique in biological sciences for observing cellular and sub-cellular structures with high resolution. It involves labeling proteins with antibodies conjugated to fluorescent molecules and illuminating samples with a specific wavelength of light. A standard IF protocol requires cell fixation, antibody incubations, and multiple washings. These processes can take several hours to overnight, making it challenging to complete within a limited lab period. The goal of this work is to transform a lengthy IF procedure into two 2-hour lab sessions. This lab module has been successfully implemented in a sophomore-junior level cell biology lab course. By completing it, students gained hands-on experience in labeling and imaging biological samples, which helped them build confidence in using this technique. Here, we present the outcomes of this project, including detailed lab procedures and instructor notes on the preparation and execution of the lab.