In the lab
from curiosity to discovery
Whenever we talk about the LCC (Leukocyte Coping Capacity) test, people are curious: Has this been done before? Why neutrophils? How does it really work? In the Lab is where we share those answers — with clarity, and with the research that makes them possible.
Neutrophils (blue) among red blood cells — the body’s first responders, its immune ‘fire engines’ on call.
Q: Who actually invented this technique?
The LCC test was invented in 2003 by Dr. Rubina Mian. She not only developed the technique but also gave it its name: Leukocyte Coping Capacity (LCC). The name itself is memorable. It was inspired during a trip to London Euston, where the old L.C.C. 1902 fire brigade station still stands, its stone engraving visible to this day. That blend of history—fire engines racing out to danger—and biology—neutrophils as the body’s first responders—sparked the name Leukocyte Coping Capacity.
L.C.C. Fire Brigade Station, Euston, 1902 — where the name took shape.
Q: Has this ever been done before?
Absolutely not. While many researchers have studied single immune mediators, no one has ever created a real-time test for neutrophil coping. The LCC test is original, peer-reviewed, published, and scientifically validated. For the first time, we can see how neutrophils—the body’s immune “fire engines”—respond under pressure in minutes, not hours or days.
Dr. Rubina Mian, inventor of the LCC test.
Q: Why focus on neutrophils?
Neutrophils make up more than half your white cells. They’re like frontline firefighters, rushing in first, containing threats, and signalling for reinforcements. If they act too weakly, you’re under-protected. If they overreact, they exhaust reserves or cause collateral damage. Understanding how they cope is the key to understanding how you cope.
Q: How is this different from older immune tests?
Older tests were like trying to fight a blaze with a garden hose: slow, messy, and indirect. The LCC test is like rolling out a precision fire engine—fast, targeted, and built to respond where it matters.
The old way rattled — the new way roars.
Q: What do you mean by ‘coping capacity’?
Imagine a row of matchsticks. Strike them too soon, and you’ve wasted them. Strike them too often, and you burn through them too quickly. LCC measures how many “matches” your neutrophils have left and how effectively they can ignite when truly needed.
Q: How do you actually see what’s happening?
In the field, the LCC test measures reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated by neutrophils. In the lab, we can go further—using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) to capture detailed images of neutrophils as they change shape, move, and engage with challenges. These microscope images bring to life what the fingertip test is already detecting in real time.
Dr. Rubina Mian — scanning electron microscopy (SEM).
Q: Why link this so strongly to stress?
Stress leaves a fingerprint on the immune system. It can make neutrophils rush in prematurely or fail to switch on when needed. Just as fire engines need to be ready when the alarm sounds, neutrophils must be on standby—not burned out from false alarms. Stress-induced immunosuppression has been documented for centuries; we now finally have a way of monitoring it in real time.
Q: Is this just for elite athletes?
Not at all. LCC has been applied nationally and internationally, with results published in peer-reviewed journals including Nature Scientific Reports. It has been used in intensive care with critically ill patients, in psychology studies on stress and resilience, in workplace stress monitoring, in scent and perfume research, in cinema experiments, and even in frontline services. In fact, it’s a rapidly evolving tool that has been used and continues to be used in many real-world applications—from the fire brigade to the football pitch. Stress, resilience, and recovery affect us all.
Q: What kind of research is happening now?
We’re still expanding. That means collaborations across medicine, neuroscience, scent, workplace health, and of course, the arts. From music and film to soundscapes, vision, and light, we explore how sensory experiences shape the body’s defences.
Q: Can people use this themselves?
At present, LCC is a research tool used in collaborations with universities, clinicians, and companies. It has already been applied worldwide in different clinical and performance contexts. The goal is always the same: understanding how immune cells cope—and how to help them cope better.