Virology

The objectives of the course are:

·     To acquire knowledge about the basic principles in Virology and to get familiar with the Biology of selected families of viruses

·     To gain knowledge about the basic molecular mechanisms underlying the virus-host interactions and to get familiar with the molecular basis of pathogenicity mediated by viral infections

·     To get acquainted with the utilization of viruses in Translational Medicine (gene therapy – development of vaccines)

LEARNING OUTCOMES:

After successfully completing the course, students will acquire the following Knowledge, skills and competencies:

·     They should know the main characteristics of viruses: Main properties of viruses – Structure of viruses – Nature and Transcription of viral genomes – Classification – Life cycle

·     They should know about the basic virus-host interactions, with emphasis in the host antiviral immune responses and the basic strategies of viral immune evasion – To understand the link to pathogenicity of viral infections

·     They should know about the Biology of selected viral families, Clinical manifestations, ways of viral spread, and about the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of viral infections, and molecular basis of pathogenicity

·     They should know and understand the strategies used in the design and construction of recombinant viruses as well as their importance for Translational Medicine (gene therapy, development of vaccines

They should be able to combine and utilize the acquired knowledge, in order to be able to solve virology-related problem-based questions and to analyze experimental results in Virology.