Abstract: Experimental course teaching is an important measure to cultivate students’ innovative abilities. In the cell culture course of biomedical majors, the comprehensive experiment of determining viral titer and antiviral drug efficacy is important content. However, there are many problems in the course of traditional plaque experiments. In this paper, the experimental efficiency was first improved by optimizing the traditional steps of plaque assays. By integrating plaque assay and drug assay, the experimental methods of determining the effect of antiviral drugs were simplified. And the experimental skills and scientific interest of students were enhanced through the quantitative and visual determination of viral titers and antiviral efficacy. In addition, the traditional plaque assays neither detect titers of the viruses without significant cytopathic effects (CPE), nor test the activity of antiviral agents to these viruses. In this paper, to address these problems, a cutting-edge technology-fluorescent enzyme-linked immune spots (Fluo-ELISPOT) was applied to visualize and quantify viral plaques and to determine viral titers and efficacy of antiviral drugs, which provided new experimental techniques and new insights for the research and development of antiviral drugs. It also made a positive attempt to optimize the experimental teaching system of medical biology and improve the quality of cell experimental teaching, and further promoted the reform and innovation of student experimental teaching.

Key words: antiviral agents, plaque assay, Fluo-ELISPOT, experimental teaching reform, microbiology