Virology Lab Exercises for Undergraduates

by Eric J. Ryndock, Ph.D.

Keywords: Virology, Lab, Undergraduate, Education, Experiential Learning
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Virology Lab Exercises for Undergraduates Book Cover

About the Book

This laboratory manual presents a novel series of undergraduate-friendly experiments designed to provide students with a safe, accessible, and comprehensive introduction to virology. The manual is intended for students who already possess foundational knowledge in cell biology, genetics, and molecular biology, and it emphasizes hands-on learning through diverse experimental approaches. Unlike many existing virology laboratory manuals that depend on costly infrastructure such as mammalian cell culture facilities or focus narrowly on a single viral system, this manual was developed specifically for primary undergraduate teaching institutions. The experiments utilize readily available equipment while exposing students to representative viruses that infect bacteria, plants, and animals. Through these investigations, students gain practical experience with modern virological techniques and develop transferable, employable skills relevant to biotechnology, research, and related industries. Collectively, the laboratory exercises aim to strengthen conceptual understanding of viral biology, promote technical competency, and inspire student curiosity about viruses as dynamic and influential biological entities.

Chapters

  1. Preface
  2. Chapter 1: Bacteriophage Investigation
  3. Chapter 2: Deformed Wing Virus Investigation
  4. Chapter 3: Zucchini Yellow Mosaic Virus Investigation
  5. Glossary
  6. Instructor Notes

General Information

  • Publication Year: 2026
  • Edition: First
  • Subject: Virology

License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0) as a part of PA-ADOPT, except where otherwise noted.

Usage

Readers

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Instructors

If you are an instructor seeking to use this eTextbook in your own course(s) please feel free to download the ePub and/or PDF file(s) for your use, but make sure to complete our eTextbook Usage Survey (this information is used for program evaluation purposes).

If you are interested in making revisions and edits to this eTextbook please note that this is possible since the book is under a Creative Commons License, which allows you to remix, reuse, revise, and redistribute the eTextbook. Please refer to the Faculty Support Page, specifically looking at Remixing. You can download Virology Lab Exercises for Undergraduates Apple Pages File in order to use the original document to revise and remix the eTextbook for your purposes.

Citations

MLA: Ryndock, Eric J. Virology Lab Exercises for Undergraduates. First, The Pennsylvania Alliance for Design of Open Textbooks (PA-ADOPT), 2026.

APA: Ryndock, E. J. (2026). Virology lab exercises for undergraduates (1st ed.). The Pennsylvania Alliance for Design of Open Textbooks (PA-ADOPT).

Chicago: Ryndock, Eric J. Virology Lab Exercises for Undergraduates. 1st ed. The Pennsylvania Alliance for Design of Open Textbooks (PA-ADOPT), 2026.

Peer Review

This eTextbook went through an Open Peer Review process. The peer review process used the Open SUNY Textbook Peer Review Guidelines, allowing peer reviewers to read the text carefully and evaluate the following:

  • Educational Significance of Content including accuracy, appropriate and useful materials, valid and significant concepts, models, and skills, and key  elements; 
  • Effectiveness as a Teaching Resource including a clear explanation of the  concepts, alignment of materials to the learning process of the target audience, and alignment of the learning objectives with course goals; and 
  • Readability and Ease of Use including clarity and comprehensiveness, consistent writing style, readability and ease of use (logic, sequence, and flow), appropriateness for target readership level, and quality of Interactivity and  multimedia learning objects.

As a part of the open peer review process, the public review conducted by Dr. Brian Bowser is made available: Peer Review Document (PDF).