Immunology

This subject introduces students to the excitingly diverse world of microbes and discusses the roles they play not only in causing infectious disease but also in both creating and maintaining life as we know it. Various types of microbes and their basic life processes are described, with the focus mainly on bacteria and viruses. Cell biology principles and roles of organelles in protein trafficking will be discussed. Bacterial genetics and metabolism are explored, with the emphasis on how these areas determine observed behaviours and activities. The components of the immune system are outlined and their interactions and functions described.

A central part of this subject is outlining some of the strategies used by microbes to cause disease, and the counter strategies employed by the immune system to prevent disease. Other ways of controlling microbes, including antibiotics and vaccines are also discussed. The key roles played by microbes and the immune system in medical and biotechnological research is described. This subject provides students intending to specialize in the biological sciences with an understanding of the basic concepts in the disciplines of both Microbiology and Immunology.

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This subject will describe the development, function and regulation of cells of the immune system; immunoglobulins; cytokines; immunological mechanisms operating in immunity to infectious disease; autoimmunity; hypersensitivity; and transplantation and tumour immunology. Content will be presented across five modules that involve investigations into innate immunity, immune recognition, adaptive immunity immunoregulation and immune memory, as well as the involvement of the immune system in disease. Students will engage with the content through a variety of activities including lectures, active workshops and flipped classroom-style discussions. Through understanding each module in this subject, students will gain an appreciation of the fundamentals and underlying mechanisms of the immune system, which will build a foundation for further studies in Immunology.

View detailed information in the Handbook

This subject builds on the principles of immunology acquired by students in the pre-requisite subject MIIM30002 and provides a more detailed study of specific aspects of immunology. These include clinical and emerging areas in immunology such as: immune mechanisms that protect against pathogens and the implications for vaccine development and global health; immune system control and the diseases that may arise when that control is compromised; applications of immunology in organ transplantation; and immunotherapies to treat diseases of the immune system and cancers.

This subject is delivered by specialist research-based and clinical immunologists, who are experts in these areas of immunology. They will discuss the experimental basis of our knowledge of immunology, how laboratory-based research has been translated into clinical practice, and future directions for immunology research and clinical application.

View detailed information in the Handbook

This capstone subject provides an:

• overview of common methods used to identify and characterise aspects of the immune system and its response against infectious pathogens;
• overview of effective strategies used in constructing and presenting scientific reports, both oral and written; and
• opportunity for completion of a student-lead research inquiry project which will be presented to student peers and academic staff members.

Laboratory techniques covered include molecular methods and functional assays used for the identification and characterisation of immunological tissues, activation markers and specific responses to pathogens, such as polymerase chain reaction (PCR), flow cytometry, enzyme immunoassays, protein electrophoresis, western blotting, bioinformatics, and immunofluorescence assays. Non-laboratory sessions will be used for the introduction of practical topics, data analysis, critical discussion of scientific research publications, research ethics and integrity, as well as discussion of strategies used in constructing and presenting scientific reports, both oral and written.

Upon completion of the subject students will have:

• used molecular methods and functional assays to identify important characteristics of immune development and responses;
• used common bioinformatics methods to analyse protein sequence data that relates to bias/similarity in protein receptors;
• developed skills in constructing and presenting scientific reports, both oral and written;
• participated in group work activities, both within and outside the Laboratory; and
• developed safe scientific work practices.

View detailed information in the Handbook

This subject describes how microbes are an essential part of our environmental ecology and participate in unique interactions within their environmental niche. This subject also describes how microbes (bacteria, viruses, parasites) cause infections in humans, and how our immune system responds. The characteristics of some of the pathogens which cause respiratory, gastrointestinal, sexually transmissible and hospital acquired infections are discussed together with the body’s immune response to these pathogens, and the design of appropriate interventions, including vaccines and antimicrobials. The effects of both these infections and the interventions to control infectious diseases on communities and public health are also described so that the interaction between pathogen, host and environment can be illustrated.

This is a fully integrated subject in which the lectures and the practical classes build on, and support, each other. The practical classes comprise a series of case studies which illustrate and revise material covered in the lecture, and aim to teach the safe and effective implementation of basic microbiological techniques.

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This is a subject suitable for students taking life science and biomedical subjects. It offers an introduction to the techniques used in many areas of molecular science.

Students taking the course will develop practical skills in the laboratory and an understanding of the techniques used in biochemistry and molecular biology to investigate biological problems.

Students will develop practical and research skills by exploiting the physico-chemical properties of molecules in a variety of experimental techniques, and interpreting the data they generate.

Students will apply these skills to the:

• separation and characterisation of proteins; and
• isolation, manipulation and characterisation of nucleic acids: and
• examination of cellular structures.

Students will develop key scientific communication skills required to report on their practical work; as well as learning to relate theoretical principles to practical observations.

Online lectures will cover the theory of these standard laboratory techniques central to biochemistry and molecular biology and new methods driving the fields of genomics and proteomics.

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Experimental Pathology will introduce students to the practical methods used to understand the nature and cause of disease. Through a combination of laboratory and workshop sessions and case- based lectures, students will consolidate their theoretical understanding of disease acquired in PATH20001 or BIOM20001. Students will be introduced to the core disciplines of Pathology and in doing so appreciate the central and vital role Pathology plays in biomedical research and medicine.

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This subject is an introduction to the field of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, building on 1st year chemical principles relating molecular structure to biological function. The content includes a detailed introduction to the structure of biological building blocks (amino acids, nucleic acids, carbohydrates and lipids). The subject covers the structure and function of proteins, including the properties of enzymes, their regulation and kinetic behaviour. How nucleic acids replicate information, are maintained and repaired and serve as a template for the synthesis of RNAs and proteins (i.e. molecular biology) is addressed. The structure of lipids is examined to show their major biological roles, particularly as components of cell membranes. Metabolic pathways (glycolysis, gluconeogenesis, glycogen metabolism, TCA cycle and oxidative phosphorylation) will complete this core coverage of essential biochemistry. The subject is designed to stand alone, but it complements the laboratory experiences in the subject BCMB20005 “Techniques in Molecular Science”, Each of these level-2 subjects can be taken independently, concurrently or in either order.

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Each cell in our body and, indeed, in all multicellular organisms has a particular structure and many important functions. This subject explores the complex cellular structure and molecular functions of general and specialised human, animal and plant cells. It also explores the internal and external signals that can lead to changes in cell behaviour, gene expression, protein synthesis and cell replication in both healthy and disrupted or diseased states.

In this subject students will build on foundational knowledge and skills obtained in first year biology. Learning activities will prepare students for further study within cell and developmental biology and future study and career pathways in many other relevant areas of biological and biomedical sciences.

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This subject will describe the fundamental characteristics of a genome, its structure and how genetic information contained within the genome is expressed and transmitted. The subject will integrate the molecular basis of genetic variation with the principles of Mendelian, quantitative and population genetics to explain patterns of genetic variation. A core aspect of this subject will be the development of analytical skills associated with solving genetic-based problems and interpreting data from genetic experiments.

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This subject will explore the scientific basis of disease. Students will be introduced to factors affecting the initiation, progression and resolution of human disease through the study of:

• Injury, inflammation and repair
• Infection, immunity and immune mediated disease
• Homeostasis and vascular disease
• Genes, cancer and the environment.

Through lectures and tutorials students will understand that, as first described by Rudolf Virchow in 1958, ‘injury to the smallest living unit of the body, the cell, is the basis of all disease’, and appreciate how injury can lead to the development of diseases such as cancer and diabetes or cause a heart attack.

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This subject describes how bacteria have evolved specialized structures and proteins that allow them to adapt and survive in a range of environments. In particular this subject will examine the contribution of processes such as protein secretion and gene regulation to bacterial survival during infection of humans (i.e. pathogenesis). From an understanding of the molecular basis of host-pathogen interactions, students will be able to understand the diverse mechanisms bacteria use to cause disease, and how infectious diseases are spread. A range of medically important bacteria will be discussed, with an emphasis on their ecology, pathogenesis and the pathobiology of the disease. The subject will also describe techniques and strategies such as mutant construction and molecular cloning that are used to dissect microbial function, and cover applied aspects of medical microbiology, such as the diagnosis of infections, the mechanisms of action of antimicrobial agents, as well as resistance to these agents. Students should be able to apply this knowledge to the determination of strategies for prevention, control and recognition of disease, including the design of vaccines and other therapeutics.

View detailed information in the Handbook

This subject describes how medically important viruses interact with their hosts to cause infection.

The subject will cover the strategies that different groups of viruses employ to replicate in host cells, and their mechanisms for manipulating cellular biochemistry for their own ends. The different outcomes possible for both the virus and the host cell, including clearance, persistence, carcinogenesis and immunodeficiency will be discussed. Also covered will be how viruses may be transmitted and detected, and the pathogenic process. The host immune response to infection and the various mechanisms used by viruses to evade the host’s defences will also be explored. Chemotherapeutic and vaccine strategies to control viral infection, as well as the exploitation of viruses as vectors for vaccine and gene therapy applications, will also be examined. These topics will be further illustrated by discussing the features of a range of medically important viruses.

View detailed information in the Handbook

Parasites, and the infections they cause, are a major cause of global health and socio-economic burden. They cause substantial morbidity and mortality in humans and animals worldwide, and major losses to global food production. This subject focuses on medically-important parasites, how they interact with their hosts and cause disease, and how these infections impact on human health and populations globally.

This subject takes a broad, multi-disciplinary approach to introduce students to the excitingly complex and diverse world of medically important parasites. Aspects of host-parasite interactions and disease pathogenesis (including immune evasion mechanisms and relevant host defences), as well as parasite life-cycles, transmission, diagnosis, prevention (including vaccine and drug development), treatment, control and impact on human health locally and globally will be covered. Topics will be addressed from the disciplinary perspectives of microbiology, immunology, biochemistry, cellular and molecular biology, genomics, physiology and epidemiology. Examples of medically-important protists (unicellular eukaryotes), helminths (worms) and arthropods (including insects) will be studied.

This subject consists of lectures and active-learning sessions, including practicals. It is delivered by internationally renowned parasitologists and global health researchers.

View detailed information in the Handbook

This subject extends the concepts and examination of disease covered in second year Pathology (PATH20001, BIOM20001) with a focus on the cellular and molecular features underlying fundamental mechanisms in organ specific pathologies.

This subject is available to both Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Biomedicine students.

Science and Biomedicine students intending to take a major in Pathology are required to enrol in PATH30001 (this subject), PATH30002 and PATH30003.

View detailed information in the Handbook

Knowledge of genome structures from various organisms and the rapid development of technologies that exploit such information are having a big impact in biology, medicine and biotechnology. This subject describes the structure and expression of genomes in higher organisms and provides an understanding of the technologies used to analyse and manipulate genes. Students will learn how the modification of genes in cells and whole organisms can be used to discover gene function or to modify phenotype. The structure of eukaryotic chromosomes is presented to demonstrate how genetic material is replicated and how transcription of RNA is controlled. We illustrate how pathways that regulate RNA and protein are integrated to control cell metabolism and cell fate. The content will cover the bioinformatic techniques used to interpret and extend genomic information. The approaches of functional genomics to the study of specific human diseases will be discussed to illustrate the application of molecular biology to the study of human biology and health.

View detailed information in the Handbook

This subject develops a student’s knowledge of cell biology, introduced in second year subjects. The subject describes the molecular mechanisms underpinning eukaryotic cell and tissue organisation, morphology and behaviour and their importance in biomedicine. We will explore the relationships between cellular organisation and the biological functions of normal and stressed cells, as well as experimental strategies for investigating the molecular basis of these relationships. The subject matter includes the compartmentalisation of eukaryotic cells; intracellular trafficking of biomolecules; the structure, function and biogenesis of subcellular organelles; protein folding and maturation; vesicle-mediated transport; structure and function of the extracellular matrix and cell adhesion molecules and their role in diseased states such as malignancies; cellular stress responses and linked signal transduction events; cytoskeletal structures and the signal transduction processes regulating the assembly and disassembly of actin-cytoskeleton; molecular processes determining cell movement and shape changes; imaging of processes within live cells. Students will also gain an appreciation of the major concepts involved in the development of a range of organisms. This multi-disciplinary subject is co-taught by staff in the School of Biomedical Sciences and School of BioSciences. A feature of this subject is the application of this knowledge in pure and applied research and thus will provide a platform for students in many Life Science majors.

View detailed information in the Handbook

This subject will describe the development, function and regulation of cells of the immune system; immunoglobulins; cytokines; immunological mechanisms operating in immunity to infectious disease; autoimmunity; hypersensitivity; and transplantation and tumour immunology. Content will be presented across five modules that involve investigations into innate immunity, immune recognition, adaptive immunity immunoregulation and immune memory, as well as the involvement of the immune system in disease. Students will engage with the content through a variety of activities including lectures, active workshops and flipped classroom-style discussions. Through understanding each module in this subject, students will gain an appreciation of the fundamentals and underlying mechanisms of the immune system, which will build a foundation for further studies in Immunology.

View detailed information in the Handbook

This subject builds on the principles of immunology acquired by students in the pre-requisite subject MIIM30002 and provides a more detailed study of specific aspects of immunology. These include clinical and emerging areas in immunology such as: immune mechanisms that protect against pathogens and the implications for vaccine development and global health; immune system control and the diseases that may arise when that control is compromised; applications of immunology in organ transplantation; and immunotherapies to treat diseases of the immune system and cancers.

This subject is delivered by specialist research-based and clinical immunologists, who are experts in these areas of immunology. They will discuss the experimental basis of our knowledge of immunology, how laboratory-based research has been translated into clinical practice, and future directions for immunology research and clinical application.

View detailed information in the Handbook

This capstone subject provides an:

• overview of common methods used to identify and characterise aspects of the immune system and its response against infectious pathogens;
• overview of effective strategies used in constructing and presenting scientific reports, both oral and written; and
• opportunity for completion of a student-lead research inquiry project which will be presented to student peers and academic staff members.

Laboratory techniques covered include molecular methods and functional assays used for the identification and characterisation of immunological tissues, activation markers and specific responses to pathogens, such as polymerase chain reaction (PCR), flow cytometry, enzyme immunoassays, protein electrophoresis, western blotting, bioinformatics, and immunofluorescence assays. Non-laboratory sessions will be used for the introduction of practical topics, data analysis, critical discussion of scientific research publications, research ethics and integrity, as well as discussion of strategies used in constructing and presenting scientific reports, both oral and written.

Upon completion of the subject students will have:

• used molecular methods and functional assays to identify important characteristics of immune development and responses;
• used common bioinformatics methods to analyse protein sequence data that relates to bias/similarity in protein receptors;
• developed skills in constructing and presenting scientific reports, both oral and written;
• participated in group work activities, both within and outside the Laboratory; and
• developed safe scientific work practices.

View detailed information in the Handbook

This subject describes how bacteria have evolved specialized structures and proteins that allow them to adapt and survive in a range of environments. In particular this subject will examine the contribution of processes such as protein secretion and gene regulation to bacterial survival during infection of humans (i.e. pathogenesis). From an understanding of the molecular basis of host-pathogen interactions, students will be able to understand the diverse mechanisms bacteria use to cause disease, and how infectious diseases are spread. A range of medically important bacteria will be discussed, with an emphasis on their ecology, pathogenesis and the pathobiology of the disease. The subject will also describe techniques and strategies such as mutant construction and molecular cloning that are used to dissect microbial function, and cover applied aspects of medical microbiology, such as the diagnosis of infections, the mechanisms of action of antimicrobial agents, as well as resistance to these agents. Students should be able to apply this knowledge to the determination of strategies for prevention, control and recognition of disease, including the design of vaccines and other therapeutics.

View detailed information in the Handbook

This subject describes how medically important viruses interact with their hosts to cause infection.

The subject will cover the strategies that different groups of viruses employ to replicate in host cells, and their mechanisms for manipulating cellular biochemistry for their own ends. The different outcomes possible for both the virus and the host cell, including clearance, persistence, carcinogenesis and immunodeficiency will be discussed. Also covered will be how viruses may be transmitted and detected, and the pathogenic process. The host immune response to infection and the various mechanisms used by viruses to evade the host’s defences will also be explored. Chemotherapeutic and vaccine strategies to control viral infection, as well as the exploitation of viruses as vectors for vaccine and gene therapy applications, will also be examined. These topics will be further illustrated by discussing the features of a range of medically important viruses.

View detailed information in the Handbook

Parasites, and the infections they cause, are a major cause of global health and socio-economic burden. They cause substantial morbidity and mortality in humans and animals worldwide, and major losses to global food production. This subject focuses on medically-important parasites, how they interact with their hosts and cause disease, and how these infections impact on human health and populations globally.

This subject takes a broad, multi-disciplinary approach to introduce students to the excitingly complex and diverse world of medically important parasites. Aspects of host-parasite interactions and disease pathogenesis (including immune evasion mechanisms and relevant host defences), as well as parasite life-cycles, transmission, diagnosis, prevention (including vaccine and drug development), treatment, control and impact on human health locally and globally will be covered. Topics will be addressed from the disciplinary perspectives of microbiology, immunology, biochemistry, cellular and molecular biology, genomics, physiology and epidemiology. Examples of medically-important protists (unicellular eukaryotes), helminths (worms) and arthropods (including insects) will be studied.

This subject consists of lectures and active-learning sessions, including practicals. It is delivered by internationally renowned parasitologists and global health researchers.

View detailed information in the Handbook

This subject extends the concepts and examination of disease covered in second year Pathology (PATH20001, BIOM20001) with a focus on the cellular and molecular features underlying fundamental mechanisms in organ specific pathologies.

This subject is available to both Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Biomedicine students.

Science and Biomedicine students intending to take a major in Pathology are required to enrol in PATH30001 (this subject), PATH30002 and PATH30003.

View detailed information in the Handbook

Knowledge of genome structures from various organisms and the rapid development of technologies that exploit such information are having a big impact in biology, medicine and biotechnology. This subject describes the structure and expression of genomes in higher organisms and provides an understanding of the technologies used to analyse and manipulate genes. Students will learn how the modification of genes in cells and whole organisms can be used to discover gene function or to modify phenotype. The structure of eukaryotic chromosomes is presented to demonstrate how genetic material is replicated and how transcription of RNA is controlled. We illustrate how pathways that regulate RNA and protein are integrated to control cell metabolism and cell fate. The content will cover the bioinformatic techniques used to interpret and extend genomic information. The approaches of functional genomics to the study of specific human diseases will be discussed to illustrate the application of molecular biology to the study of human biology and health.

View detailed information in the Handbook

This subject develops a student’s knowledge of cell biology, introduced in second year subjects. The subject describes the molecular mechanisms underpinning eukaryotic cell and tissue organisation, morphology and behaviour and their importance in biomedicine. We will explore the relationships between cellular organisation and the biological functions of normal and stressed cells, as well as experimental strategies for investigating the molecular basis of these relationships. The subject matter includes the compartmentalisation of eukaryotic cells; intracellular trafficking of biomolecules; the structure, function and biogenesis of subcellular organelles; protein folding and maturation; vesicle-mediated transport; structure and function of the extracellular matrix and cell adhesion molecules and their role in diseased states such as malignancies; cellular stress responses and linked signal transduction events; cytoskeletal structures and the signal transduction processes regulating the assembly and disassembly of actin-cytoskeleton; molecular processes determining cell movement and shape changes; imaging of processes within live cells. Students will also gain an appreciation of the major concepts involved in the development of a range of organisms. This multi-disciplinary subject is co-taught by staff in the School of Biomedical Sciences and School of BioSciences. A feature of this subject is the application of this knowledge in pure and applied research and thus will provide a platform for students in many Life Science majors.

View detailed information in the Handbook