Plant–pathogen interactions are often omitted as a topic in most introductory and upper-level biology courses. The infection process of the plant pathogen Pythium irregulare on the moss Mnium cuspidatum can be observed and exploited to provide lessons on host–pathogen responses, as well as introduce other biological topics such as microscopy, spectrophotometry, and enzymes. Students can qualitatively analyze plant responses to pathogen infection using microscopy and observe quantitative enzyme responses to draw conclusions. Students are also encouraged to generate hypotheses and test them using this biological system as a method to develop scientific skills.

The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) is a powerful immunological technique for quantifying small amounts of compounds and has been used in research and clinical settings for years. Although there are laboratory exercises developed to introduce the ELISA technique to students, their ability to promote student learning has not been thoroughly assessed. We found that a commercially available ELISA kit increased student performance on pre- and post-tests in three undergraduate college courses, especially in those taught to general-education students. Student confidence levels about ELISA methodology, as well as comfort level in performing the technique, increased significantly in both general- education and biology-major courses.