Why not work on T and NK cells in the Kunkel laboratory?

Coming from Hans Wigzell's laboratory in Uppsala, Sweden, I joined the Kunkel laboratory in 1981 to spend a post-doctoral fellowship period financed by the German Research Organization. While I initially worked with Nick Chiorazzi in an attempt to generate monoclonal antibody-secreting human B-cell hybridomas, I later studied the in vitro effects of tumor promoters on human natural killer cells and collaborated with Mary Crow on some aspects of the so-called autologous mixed lymphocyte reaction. Working in the stimulating atmosphere of the Kunkel laboratory was an exceptional experience. I was particularly impressed by the efficient organization of clinical research at Rockefeller University. The following is a very personal resumee of my stay in the Kunkel laboratory.