Learning objectives
Many of the current concepts in molecular and cellular biology arose directly from studies of microrganisms, such as viruses, structures and functions. Of these, a peculiar importance is represented by the mode of action during pathogenicity and interaction with the host cells.
Prerequisites
A strong knowledge of the basis of General Biochemistry as well as General Genetics.
Course unit content
Complete coverage of all aspects of general biology with molecular such as cellular microbiology/virology. Molecular bases of pathogenicity. Development of anti-infective molecules.
Full programme
Microrganisms of the resident microbial flora - probiotics . Morphology of the bacterial cell
- The techniques of microscopic observation and study of microorganisms : up histological observation in fresh colors , observation under an optical microscope in dark field observation in a transmission electron microscope and scanning , fractionation of bacterial structures
- Shape, size and arrangement of micro-organisms : cocci , bacteria, bacilli , vibrios , spirilla , spirochetes, diplococci , staphylococci, streptococci, tetrads , sarcine
· Structure of the bacterial cell
- Capsule and the mucous layer ; glycocalyx
- Cell wall , protoplasts and spheroplasts
- Cytoplasmic membrane
- Cytoplasm , ribosomes , mesosomi , inclusions, pigments
- Apparatus or nuclear body
- Cilia or flagella
- Pili or fimbriae
· Chemical composition of the bacterial cell
- Bacterial proteins
- Bacterial lipids
- Bacterial polysaccharide
- Bacterial nucleic acids
- Other bacterial components
- water
· Genetics of microorganisms
· The genetics of microorganisms
· Changes in genotypic and phenotypic
- Selective pressures and genetic adaptation
- Dissociation and phase change
· Mutations bacterial
· Work on the molecular mechanism of bacterial mutations
· Work on mutagens
· Genetic Recombination
- transformation
- Lysogeny and transduction
- Conjugation, F Factors
- R factors ; transposons , conjugative plasmids ; bacteriocins
Resistance - bacterial chromosomal and plasmid
- Antibiotics , bacterial resistance to antibacterial agents ; chemotherapy
· The bacterial metabolism
- Nutritional requirements of microorganisms : the energy source, capacity of synthesis
- Organic growth factors
- Application of inorganic compounds
- Request for physico-chemical conditions : pressure, humidity, temperature, pH, salt concentration , osmotic pressure
- Membrane transport
- Attack on non-penetrable nutrients : exoenzymes
- The production of energy. The cultivation of microorganisms
- The physical state of culture media
- Chemical composition of the culture media
- Selective media , differential , electives, enrichment
- Incubation conditions
- Growth of microorganisms in liquid media : growth curve , cultures synchronized chemostat
- Growth of microorganisms in solid media : solidifying agents , colony morphology , techniques, seeding , crop isolation
- Cultivation of microorganisms for inclusion
· Materials and antibacterial activity
- Mechanisms of action
- The main methods of determining the sensitivity of microorganisms to antibacterial drugs
· The micro-organisms and multicellular organisms
· Resident bacterial flora in the body areas
· Saprophytic microorganisms and parasites ( symbionts , commensals and pathogens)
· Micro-organisms pathogenic parasites
- Pathogenicity and virulence
- invasive
- Toxigenicity : exotoxins , endotoxins , and other substances with toxic aggressinica
· Lipid A
- Antigen mimicry
· Phases of the relationship pathogen - host organism
- Colonization and contamination
- penetration
- Tissue localization
- Factors related to the host organism and conditioning the onset of the disease
· Notes on the mode of transmission of diseases infettive.Le nonspecific defenses
· The specific defenses
· The antigen and the conditions determining the antigenicity
· The antibodies ; chemical nature , specificity.Morfological classes of viral particles
· Structure of viral particles
- Cubic symmetry
- Helical symmetry
- Complex structure
- Combined structure. -Chemical composition of the viral particle
- Nucleic acids
- proteins
- lipids
- carbohydrates
· Relationships virus-cell
- Viral hemagglutination
- Quantitative determinations of virus -
Physical and chemical determinations
determinations based infectivity
- Stages of viral multiplication.
- Nucleic acid replication in a positive -stranded and negative stranded RNA viruses, monohelical as well as bi-helical polarity.
- Replication of the nucleic acid in the virus DNA.-Expression of the viral genome.-Virus RNA and DNA tumor
- Prions , viroids , virusoids.- Growth of viruses.- Growth in cell cultures "in vitro" : CPE , hints haemadsorption , immunoblot assay and immunofluorescence
cultivation in embryonated eggs. Growth in eukaryotic cells , in animals .
Non-specific defense , immunity: natural and / or innate ; immunity: adaptive humoral as well as cellular : overview.
- Outline of basic laboratory diagnostic criteria .
Bibliography
Brock:Biologia dei microrganismi.
Madigan,Martinko.
Microbiologia.
Prescott,Harley,Klein.
Teaching methods
oral lessons with practical approaches
Other information
Ability to performe an autonomus study as well as an individual research on the basic biology of the microrganisms.
