Question

The surface glycan antigens from a variety of microbes can be immobilized on an array. These arrays can then incubated with antibodies isolated from a variety of animals. What type of information could be determined from this experiment?

Choose one:

A.   identification of microbes that have caused an immune response in each animal

B.   the common features of all microbes that are immunogenic in the animals tested

C.   the potential for a newly discovered microbe to be immunogenic if ingested by one or more of the animals tested

D.   the chemical composition of glycan surface antigens that cause an immune response in all animals tested

Answer 1

Immunogenicity can only be tested if an animal that was previously never exposed to the microbe can produce antibodies against it. That cannot be tested invitro which this array is. It can only be tested invivo by injecting the animals with either the glycans or the microbes. Hence both (B) and (C) are wrong.

This experiment does not include any characterization steps or other methods that reveal the chemical composition of the glycans. Hence (D) is wrong.

The experiment incubates sera of different animals with the arrays having the glycans immobilized. The antibodies will only bind if they are already present in the serum. That is, if the animal has been previously infected by the microbe. Hence (A) is correct.