Second Semester - 18 points
The epidemiology and pathogenesis of infectious diseases, the response of the immune system to microbial antigens, and how the response is measured.
Microbes and the immune response exist in a delicate balance. The immune response is essential for fighting infection by microbial pathogens; however, these pathogens evolve rapidly to develop immune evasion mechanisms. This paper includes specific discussion on current global disease threats such as HIV, influenza, MRSA, tuberculosis and E. coli 0157:H7.
This course in Infection and Immunity aims to integrate microbiology and immunology to:
1. explain the mechanisms microbes have evolved to infect cells, individuals and communities.
2. provide a broad understanding of fundamental immunology, including innate and adaptive immune systems at a cellular and molecular level
3. provide basic practical experience with the instrumentation and methodology important in a modern diagnostic laboratory and how these skills can be applied to human health and disease.
This paper is ideal if you are interested in Immunology or Medical Microbiology, and want to understand the interplay between infection and protection.
The MICR 223 lecture course will introduce you to the following topics:
1. Introduction to epidemiology
2. Epidemiological tools: subtyping methods
3. Studying historical pandemics: what have we learned?
4. Acute, chronic, latent and silent infections
5. Principles of antimicrobial therapy
6. Are we moving towards the post-antibiotic era?
7. Zoonoses
8. Environmental pathogens
9. Transmission and prevention
10. Hospital and community-acquired infections
11. Microbial adhesion
12. Microbial invasion
13. Microbial intracellular survival
14. Bacterial toxins
15. Medical importance of biofilms
16. Introduction to immunity
17. Recognition of pathogens
18. The inflammasome and inflammatory mediators
19. Generation of lymphocyte diversity
20. Lymphocyte activation
21. T cell subsets I (cellular)
22. T cell subsets II (molecular)
23. Lymphocyte regulation
24. B cell subsets and functions
25. B and T cell memory
26. Vaccines I (introduction)
27. Vaccines II (HIV, malaria, TB)
28. Autoimmunity and tolerance
29. Immunodiagnostics
30. Immunology Revision
31. Immune response to viral infection
32. Immune response to bacterial infection
The MICR 223 labs aim to introduce you to concepts covered in the lecture course at a practical level. The 6 labs in MICR 223 cover:
Attendance at all 6 laboratory sessions is compulsory
Techniques and skills you will learn in the lab course:
HUBS 191 & 90 further points
MICR 221
Lectures 11:00am
Wednesday (from semester week 7 onwards only)
Thursday
Friday
Labs
Semester weeks 2, 3, 4 and 8, 9, 10
Prescott's Microbiology by Wiley, Sherwood and Woolverton, 10th edition, 2017, McGraw-Hill Publishers
Kuby Immunology by Owen, Punt and Stranford, 7th edition, 2013, Macmillan Publishers
Both are available at the Medical and Science libraries
View the details of this paper on the University of Otago website
Students are encouraged to contact staff by email to make arrangements for a time to discuss course-related matters.
For more information on this course, please contact Associate Professor Joanna Kirman.
