Undergraduate - UnitBMS2052 - Microbes in health and disease

The aim of this unit is to introduce students to microorganisms, their importance in the environment, their importance in human health and disease, and the methods used to study them in the laboratory and in their human hosts.

On successful completion of this unit, students will have gained an understanding of:

1. the history of infectious disease identification and research;

2. basic mechanisms of immunity to infection;

3. the immune response to infection;

4. the development and use of vaccines;

5. host and pathogen factors and how they affect the outcome of infection;

6. mechanisms of pathogenesis; emerging diseases;

7. the spread and control of infection; antimicrobial agents; and

8. a detailed knowledge of selected infectious diseases.

On successful completion of this unit, students will have skills in:

1. use of basic microbiological equipment such as the microscope etc;

2. use of microscopic staining and visualisation techniques;

3. culture and identification of common species of medically important bacteria;

4. preparation and submission of laboratory reports; and

5. use of computer networks to access information.