Course Host pathogen interactions – from basic microbiology and immunology to medicine

The course B288/04 Host pathogen interactions – from basic microbiology and immunology to medicine, is being offered by the Graduate School of Health, Aarhus University, spring 2022.

Criteria for participation: University degree in medicine, dentistry, nursing, or Master’s degree in other fields and/or postgraduate research fellows (PhD students and research-year medical students).

Aim: To provide a course on various aspects of human host-pathogen interaction ranging from basic cell biology and microbiology (bacteriology, virology, genetics, molecular cell biology, immunology) to pathogenesis of infectious diseases and medicine. Based on lectures from experts in the field, we will give examples of how viruses and bacteria or bacterial communities interact with the human host and have developed sophisticated strategies to avoid immune recognition and elimination, in order to promote microbial spread and survival in the organism. The course will provide examples of how the host responds to microbial challenge and how this interaction may lead to a mutually beneficial relationship, or alternatively, to inflammation, pathology, tissue destruction, and disease. Some translational aspects will also be covered, including how microbial infection may cause autoinflammatory and autoimmune diseases, and development of malignancy.

Learning outcomes: Have achieved a theoretical background and ability to discuss current knowledge in some aspects of basic cell biology, immunology, and microbiology related to human host-pathogen interactions, have obtained some insight into the methodologies used to investigate these and how to interpret data, and finally have gained perspectives on how these basic mechanisms translate into the pathogenesis of infectious diseases and the medical implications hereof.

Content:

1. General introduction to host-microbe interactions – pathogen sensing, immune responses, cellular fate
   2. Viral immune evasion strategies
   3. Bacterial immune evasion strategies (with a focus on intracellular bacteria)
   4. Autophagy in antibacterial and antiviral defences and cellular homeostasis
   5. Viruses and bacteria with oncogenic potential – molecular pathways and mechanisms
   6. Investigations of host immune responses to viruses and bacteria and the role of host genetics
   7. Introduction: the microbiome in health and disease 8. How to study the microbiome: bioinformic analysis of microbial communities (meta- and pan-genomes)

Instructors: Trine Mogensen og Holger Bruggemann

Venue: Aarhus University, Aarhus.

Participation in the course is without cost for:

• PhD students, Research Year students and Research Honours Programme students from Aarhus University
• PhD students enrolled at partner universities of the Nordoc collaboration
• PhD students from other institutions in the open market agreement for PhD courses

Course dates:

• 26 April 2023 09:00 - 16:00
• 27 April 2023 09:00 - 16:00
• 28 April 2023 08:30 - 16:00