Postgraduate Course: Host-pathogen arms race (VESC11134)
Course Outline
| School | Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies |
College | College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) |
| Course type | Online Distance Learning |
Availability | Not available to visiting students |
| SCQF Credits | 10 |
ECTS Credits | 5 |
| Summary | This course is designed to cover the complex concepts that define the host-pathogen interactions. |
| Course description |
This course is designed to cover the complex concepts that define the host-pathogen interactions. It will cover the abilities of hosts to combat pathogens as well as abilities of the pathogens to persist. It will illustrate key principles that underpin the biology across species, but it will also offer species specific examples that derive from SRUC/R(D)SVS research. It will provide an in depth understanding of the concepts of host fitness, tolerance and resistance to pathogens and how these are affected by genetic and environmental drivers. It will also consider how these drive phenotypic and evolutionary plasticity in the host. Pathogen fitness and virulence will be discussed in relation to commensalism, colonisation, establishment, pathogenicity and host responses; the drivers of phenotypic plasticity in the pathogens will also be covered.
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2020/21, Not available to visiting students (SS1)
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Quota: None |
| Course Start |
Flexible |
| Course Start Date |
03/08/2020 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
100
(
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 2,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
98 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
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| Additional Information (Assessment) |
100% in-course formal summative written assessment, which will comprise two assessments each worth 50% of the final course mark |
| Feedback |
Not entered |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- To understand the complexities of host-pathogen interactions and the arms race between the two
- To learn the principles of livestock immunity and genetic variation to disease resistance
- To understand the principles of pathogen virulence
- To investigate how host x pathogen interactions influence transmission (site of colonisation, shedding routes, shedding levels)
- To understand how host responses to infection have been exploited to create diagnostics
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Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Not entered |
| Keywords | Evolution,Immunity,Behaviour,Virulence,Host-pathogen interaction,genetic variance |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Spiridoula Athanasiadou
Tel: (0131 6)51 9355
Email: sathanas@exseed.ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Mrs Angela Harding
Tel: (0131 6)51 7363
Email: Angela.Harding@ed.ac.uk |
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