Immunology Research Skill

KEY PRINCIPLES: Multi-layer evidence; source every claim; use immunology-specific databases first (IEDB, IMGT, SAbDab); always use English gene/protein names in tool calls.

LOOK UP, DON'T GUESS

When uncertain about any scientific fact, SEARCH databases first (PubMed, UniProt, ChEMBL, ClinVar, etc.) rather than reasoning from memory. A database-verified answer is always more reliable than a guess.

For MC about immune mechanisms: Look up the specific pathway/receptor/cytokine before answering. Use PubMed_search_articles with the exact terms from the question. The answer is almost always in the first few search results.

Specific LOOK UP targets (never guess these):

• Immune cell markers: CD markers for cell subsets (e.g., Treg = CD4+CD25+FOXP3+, not just "CD4+"). Query UniProt or IEDB.
• Cytokine functions: IL-17 is pro-inflammatory (Th17), IL-10 is anti-inflammatory (Treg) — but context matters. Verify via KEGG pathway or PubMed.
• MHC/HLA restrictions: Which HLA allele presents which peptide — always check IEDB MHC binding data; allele-level differences are critical (HLA-A02:01 vs HLA-A02:07 have different peptide repertoires).
• Antibody Kd values: Never estimate binding affinity; check SAbDab, IEDB, or published literature.