18607 - Applied Microbiology and Virology

Learning outcomes

The main goal of this course is to grow the ability of critically evaluating the risks and impact on human health and on social behavior of “old” and “new” microorganisms diffusion, control, manipulation by:

Understanding the way in which viruses and bacteria replicate and induce diseases in human and animals.

Learning the main molecular microbiology and virology tecniques and their application in medical field.

Understanding natural virus origin and evolution and describing how to obtain recombinant viruses in laboratory to use as viral vectors for gene therapy or as antiviral vaccines.

The laboratory course is focused on the acquisition of the methodologies to study, isolate and characterize probiotic microorganisms from several different foods such as yogurt, bread, etc,

Course contents

PART 1 - ( 4CFU , 32 HOURS ) PROF. ELISA AVITABILE

Contents:

Introduction- Infectious diseases. Pathogenic viruses. Transmission, prevention and control of infectious diseases.

Viruses

How to study viruses and viral diagnostic methods. Viral replication strategies and Viral pathogenesis.

Antiviral defense and viral immune evasion strategies. Interferon system.

Antiviral vaccines and Antiviral therapies.

Influenza virus. Epidemic and pandemic viruses. Molecular determinant of pathogenicity.

Viral oncogenesis. Human Papillomavirus.

Biotecniques and their application in Virology.

Viral vectors and gene therapy: CAR T cells therapy.

Oncolytic viruses.  

Molecular approaches to the development of viral vaccines.

   

More details at the Teacher WebSite

 

PART 2.  LABORATORY - (1cfu Lectures +1 CFU Lab, 23HOURS) PROF. STEFANO FEDI

Contents:

The Human microbiota.

Isolation and quantification of probiotic from different foods. Total plate counts with different medium agar.

Genomic DNA extraction , PCR amplification of 16S rDNA, restriction enzyme of amplified 16SrDNA.

Identification of the unknown isolated bacteria by comparing the similarity of its 16S rRNA gene sequence with 16S rRNA gene sequences of strains with known taxonomic identity that are contained in public databases.

Readings/Bibliography

Recommended reading, among :

Michele La Placa
Principi di Microbiologia Medica
Società Editrice Esculapio/EdiSES, 14a edizione (2014)

G.Antonelli, M.Clementi, G.Pozzi, G.M.Rossolini
Principi di Microbiologia Medica
Casa Editrice Ambrosiana, 3a edizione (2017)

Text-books suggested also by Prof. Gallinella for the Medical Microbiology Course

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N.Carlone
Microbiologia Farmaceutica
EdiSES, 2a edizione (2013)  (If already held)

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Prescott -Microbiologia medica - Mc Graw-Hill, Ultima edizione

Brock-Madigan-Microbiologia medica -Pearson, Ultima edizione

Only for attending students

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In addition:

Lectures slides in .pdf files freely available for students attending the course. Please, ask the teacher to get the password.

Teaching methods

Lectures with slides. Class reading and discussion of scientific reports.

The laboratory of microbiology is aimed to supply students of knowledge to carry out isolation and characterization of probiotic microorganisms from different type of food by means of PCR amplification and 16S rDNA characterization.

Assessment methods

PART 1. Oral  examination about courses contents.

PART 2 (LAB).Written examination only for Lab part at the end of the course. Oral examination during the year.

Teaching tools

Lectures slides in PowerPoint freely available as .pdf files for students attending the course at IOL platform.

Documents, videos and tests available at the same web site.

.pdf Slides do NOT replace the textbook.

For more information please contact the teacher.

Office hours

See the website of Elisa Avitabile

See the website of Stefano Fedi