Bringing immunology to life through animation
Understanding complex biological processes can be challenging for students, particularly in fields like immunology. Recognising this, Dr. Erica Wilson, Lecturer in Immunology, began to rethink how immunology is taught. In collaboration with the Production & Creative team, she is developing novel animations of immunological concepts and processes to enhance student learning.
Making immunology visible
Immunology is a field full of concepts: cells, molecules, and interactions, that occur at different sites within the body with numerous outcomes. These processes are vital to understanding human health but are notoriously difficult for students to grasp and visualise. Traditional teaching methods such as diagrams, jargon-heavy textbooks, and static images can sometimes leave students uncertain of key interactions and relevance. Dr. Wilson saw an opportunity to address this.
“I've always really loved immunology but students can be daunted by it. So, I wanted to dispel that myth and improve conceptual understandings of immunology, because once you grasp the concepts, the details fit into place.”
The animation is used throughout the module to highlight and contextualise the cellular interactions and different types of immune responses students encounter in more complex topics. Each time the animation is revisited, it serves as a visual anchor, helping students to connect new information with the foundational concepts introduced earlier in the course.
Immune responses in motion
The animation follows a simple but crucial sequence, depicting the immune response from the moment a wound becomes infected to how cells initiate, communicate, and work together to fight off infection. The format allows students to see how different cells move and interact – something that is difficult to convey without a moving medium.
The animation journey
Working alongside Michael Lohr (Lead Animator, Production & Creative), Suzanne Bickerdike (Digital Education Manager, Production & Creative), and colleagues, Dr. Wilson brought her vision to life. Storyboard creation was key to developing a shared blueprint for the ‘journey’ of the infection, whilst ensuring scientific accuracy and creating something visually compelling. Translating scientific knowledge and language into something visual requires a shared way of thinking, open-mindedness, and communication from all.
Animating cells was challenging, Dr. Wilson explains, “We created a bank of immune cell types to scale based on scanning electron micrographs and in vitro fluorescent microscopy images/movies to faithfully represent cellular movement. One of the processes that is more difficult to convey in lectures is cells travelling around the body and then interacting in different ways within an organ.
“Michael was able to animate this within a lymph node so that you can travel in and out of the node to different areas where cells interact slightly differently and refine the type of response required. Creating the movement and wide aspect view is invaluable.”
Above: A section of the animation process
Animator Lohr talks about the experience: “Working with Erica was a fantastic experience, especially on a project with such intricate details. We faced the challenge of balancing visually engaging designs with anatomical accuracy, which required careful attention to detail and some creative problem-solving. Erica's enthusiasm, valuable insights, and patience for the animation process made the collaboration both enjoyable and highly effective.”
The animation helped break down the abstract nature of immunology. Students found that the animation helped bring the concepts together. "I really like the animation; I find things like that really helpful in trying to link the theory and words to actual practice - it definitely makes some of it easier to understand! I think more animations would be helpful in most topics," says one student.
Expanding the project
Dr. Wilson’s animation shows the power of digital tools in education, with future aims to create a series of animations that capture complex immunological concepts and use them
similarly throughout the lectures. Using animation as a tool, students can interact with the material in a more immersive and memorable way, as described by one student: “It was incredible, helps to understand wide concept and text with short realistic animation. It also helps to remember things easily, especially for visual learners.”
Moreover, the animation offers substantial benefits for teaching staff, enhancing connection between lectures and ideas, ensuring greater consistency and reinforcement of key concepts throughout the course.
Above: The full immunology animation