Microbial Pathogenesis and Genomics

Module code: BS3011

This module focuses on how microbial pathogens cause infectious diseases, tackling key ideas such as the nature and functions of virulence factors, how microbes overcome host defences and the on-going evolution of pathogenic traits. This module integrates current knowledge of infectious disease biology with detailed descriptions of the molecular and genetic approaches for studying these disease processes. Our emphasis on detailed understanding of the complex interactions between pathogenic microbes and their hosts will be essential for anyone with an interest in pursuing academic, medical, industrial or journalistic careers focused on infectious disease research.

Topics covered

• Microbial virulence factors
• Intracellular parasitism
• Evasion of innate and adaptive immunity
• Microbial genome organization and gene expression
• The generation of genetic variation in microbial genomes
• The use of -omics (e.g. genomics, transcriptomes, metabolomes) techniques in microbial research