• BIOL1602
• Infection and Immunity

This module will provide students with a basic understanding of infectious disease and how the immune system is equipped to overcome the microbial challenge. It describes the nature of microbial growth and pathogenicity, the fundamentals of microbial transmission and infection control and the role of the laboratory in microbial isolation and identification. The module also introduces the key molecules, cells and tissues of the immune system and describes their roles in inflammation and protection against bacterial & viral infection.

Indicative Syllabus:
Lectures:
Microbial diversity, classification and nomenclature
Nutritional and environmental conditions required for microbial growth and laboratory culture
Microbial structure and function
Nature of microbial-host interaction, bacterial pathogenesis and transmission of infection
Physical and chemical mechanisms of controlling of microbial growth in the environment and the human host
Physical barriers to infection
Innate vs. adaptive immune responses
The cells of the immune system
Phagocytosis and opsonisation
Introduction to inflammatory response to infection
Tissues of the immune system: primary and secondary lymphoid tissues
Practicals
Fundamentals of aseptic technique and microbial culture
Factors affecting microbial growth
Fundamentals of infection control and environmental screening: air and surface sampling, hand hygiene
Principles of bacterial characterisation and identification
The antimicrobial effects of lysozyme
Morphological examination of key cells of the immune system
Anatomical and microscopic examination of primary and secondary lymphoid organs
Demonstration of phagocytosis of opsonised bacteria by neutrophils.