Introductory description

Infectious agents come in many forms, including viruses, bacteria, yeasts and eukaryotic parasites. Infectious disease caused by this array of agents is all around us. Every type of cellular life form can be infected. Human disease clearly matters a lot to us, but infections of other species also have major impacts on human activity and well-being, such as when crops and livestock fall victim to infection. This module will introduce you to important aspects of the topic of infection, considering some of the agents themselves, and their interactions with host species.

Module web page

Module aims

Outline syllabus

This is an indicative module outline only to give an indication of the sort of topics that may be covered. Actual sessions held may differ.

Structure of bacterial pathogens
Diversity, growth, cell wall, cell membrane, endospores as survival mechanism, pili and fimbriae as attachment organelles, flagella and chemotaxis.
Structure of viruses
Obligate intracellular parasites, growth, nucleic acid content, capsids and structure; process of infection
Immunology
Innate immune response; adaptive immune response, molecular structure of immunoglobulins
Epidemiology
Modelling infectious disease; population biology; epidemic patterns of disease; endemic patterns of disease; disease control

Learning outcomes

By the end of the module, students should be able to:

• the structure of viruses and how this relates to the capacity of viruses to cause disease
• Upon completion of the module, students should be able to understand:the role of various structures associated with the bacterial cell in causing disease,
• a range of diseases caused by bacteria
• the host response to viral challenge
• the mechanisms by which diseases spread
• how epidemiological theory is used to understand the behaviour of pathogens in populations

Indicative reading list

Brock Biology of Microorganisms 2008
Dimmock et al Introduction to Modern Virology 2006

Students are directed to other sources for specific directed reading during the lectures.

Subject specific skills

Upon completion of the module, students should be able to understand the role of various structures associated with the bacterial cell in causing disease, understand a range of diseases caused by bacteria, understand the structure of viruses and how this relates to the capacity of viruses to cause disease, understand the host response to viral challenge, understand the mechanisms by which diseases spread, and understand how epidemiological theory is used to understand the behaviour of pathogens in populations

Transferable skills

1. Critical appraisal of source material
2. Self directed learning
3. Adult learning