MOOC: Virtual Parasitology Laboratory

Within the framework of EUGLOH, a pilot project "Virtual Parasitology Laboratory" (VirParLab) was initiated in collaboration between the Center for International Health at LMU University Hospital (CIHLMU) and the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at LMU. The virtual lab is freely available and provides a great opportunity for students to practice lab experiments from home. This virtual lab is now offered for the first time as an online course in the format of a MOOC.

Course contents

This self-study online course contains an introduction to the apicomplexan parasite "Toxoplasma gondii" and the work in a parasitology lab in general. The skills learned can then be practiced in the virtual lab application where students can perform the individual steps themselves in a computer game-like environment. Finally, a quiz tests whether students have achieved the learning objectives.

Learning objectives

After completing the course, students will be able to...

• identify laboratory good practices.
• describe how to maintain an in-vitro culture of Toxoplasma gondii.
• explain the parasite life cycle.
• describe how to operate generally in a tissue culture laboratory, and particularly in a parasitology laboratory.
• explain how to work in sterility as well as how to operate common laboratory tools, recording and analysis of obtained data.