IMIN - Immunology and Infection

Introduces the principles and mechanisms of immunity in eukaryotes. Provides an overview of the major groups of infectious agents (virus, bacteria, parasites) and examines selected microorganisms within the context of the host response to pathogens and pathogen evasion strategies. Pre- or corequisites: BIOCH 200 and MICRB 265. May not be taken for credit if credit already obtained in BIOCH 450. (Offered jointly by the Departments of Biological Sciences and Medical Microbiology and Immunology). [Biological Sciences].

An introduction to the structure, replication, and taxonomy of bacteriophages, plant, insect, and animal viruses. Their role in disease and methods of control and detection is also discussed. Prerequisites: BIOL 207, IMIN 200 and BIOCH 200 or 205. May not be taken for credit if credit already obtained in INT D 224. (Offered jointly by the Departments of Biological Sciences and of Medical Microbiology and Immunology.) [Biological Sciences]

Survey course introducing the student to immunological concepts. Topics include the clonal selection theory, antibody structure and specificity, genetic basis of immune diversity, antibody-antigen reactions, cell interactions in immune responses, the molecular basis of non-self recognition, MHC molecules and transplantation, tolerance, effector mechanism of immunity, hypersensitivity and immunodeficiency. Prerequisites: BIOCH 200 or 205, BIOL 207, and IMIN 200. May not be taken for credit if credit already obtained in INT D 371. (Offered jointly by the Department of Biological Sciences and the Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology.) [Biological Sciences]

A lecture and laboratory course covering theory and practice behind selected immunological techniques. Techniques covered may include: lymphocyte isolation, flow cytometry, mixed lymphocyte reactions, immunocytochemistry, immunoprecipitation, ELISA, western blotting, expression cloning and monoclonal antibody technology. Labs will sometimes require students to return the next day to check on plates or cultures. Prerequisite: IMIN 371. May not be taken for credit if credit already obtained in INT D 372. (Offered jointly by the Departments of Biological Sciences and Medical Microbiology and Immunology). [Biological Sciences]

The phylogeny and evolution of immune systems. Examines the various strategies for disease resistance used by all organisms from plants to humans. The use and evolution of specific components of innate and adaptive immunity will be considered within the context of the biology of the organisms. This course involves both lectures and graded discussions. Prerequisites: IMIN 371. Credit cannot be obtained for both IMIN 401 and IMIN 501. (Offered jointly by the Departments of Biological Sciences and Medical Microbiology and Immunology). [Biological Sciences].

This course covers topics of innate immunity with emphasis on strategies for pathogen recognition, local and systemic activation of the innate immune response, and regulation of innate effector mechanisms. Innate defense strategies against pathogens as well as detection and elimination of tumors will also be covered. Lectures will be followed by active discussions of selected readings pertaining to current research in the subject area. Prerequisites: IMIN 371. Credit cannot be obtained for both IMIN 405 and 505. (Offered jointly by the Departments of Biological Sciences and Medical Microbiology and Immunology). [Biological Sciences].

This course will introduce the student to common and advanced methods in bioinformatics. In a mix of lectures and hands-on computer sessions, the student will solve realistic biological questions in the areas of sequence analysis, distant homology detection, phylogeny, correlating sequence to structure, protein structure analysis, and genomics. The student will obtain a thorough understanding of bioinformatics methods, but the focus is on application of methods in the context of molecular biology research rather than studying details of the algorithms or computer programming. Prerequisite: consent of instructor. BIOCH 320 or 330 highly recommended. Priority given to senior students in the IMIN program. (Offered jointly by the Departments of Biological Sciences and Medical Microbiology and Immunology). [Biological Sciences].

This course will focus on the mechanisms by which bacterial pathogens cause disease, covering topics such as mechanisms of host-pathogen interactions and immune evasion, pathogen evolution, antibiotic resistance and contemporary approaches to combat bacterial infections. This advanced course will be interactive and will include student-run seminars that critically analyze impactful papers related to bacterial pathogenesis. Prerequisites: BIOCH 200 and MMI 351 or MLSCI 242 or 243 or consent of the Instructor. Credit will only be given for one of IMIN 414, 514, MMI 405 and 505.

A lecture course on the detailed mechanisms of the immune system, describing recent discoveries in cellular and molecular immunology. Topics include mechanisms of T-cell receptor selection, antigen processing, activation of B and T lymphocytes, cellular collaboration, negative and positive regulatory mechanisms in immunity, transplantation, cytokine actions and interactions, autoimmunity, interaction between immune systems and pathogens, and immunogenetics. Prerequisites: BIOCH 200 and IMIN 371. May not be taken for credit if credit already obtained in MMI 552. (Offered jointly by the Department of Biological Sciences, the Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology and the Department of Oncology). [Biological Sciences]

The phylogeny and evolution of immune systems. Examines the various strategies for disease resistance used by all organisms from plants to humans. The use and evolution of specific components of innate and adaptive immunity will be considered within the context of the biology of the organisms. Lectures and graded discussions are the same as for IMIN 401, but with additional assignments and evaluation appropriate to graduate studies. Prerequisite: Consent of instructor. Credit cannot be obtained for both IMIN 401 and IMIN 501. (Offered jointly by the Departments of Biological Sciences and Medical Microbiology and Immunology). [Biological Sciences].

This course covers topics of innate immunity with emphasis on strategies for pathogen recognition, local and systemic activation of the innate immune response, and regulation of innate effector mechanisms. Innate defense strategies against pathogens as well as detection and elimination of tumors will also be covered. Lectures will be followed by active discussions of selected readings pertaining to current research in the subject area. Lectures and graded discussions are the same as for IMIN 405 but with evaluation appropriate for graduate students. Prerequisites: consent of instructor. Credit cannot be obtained for both IMIN 405 and 505. (Offered jointly by the Departments of Biological Sciences and Medical Microbiology and Immunology). [Biological Sciences].

This course will focus on the mechanisms by which bacterial pathogens cause disease, covering topics such as mechanisms of host-pathogen interactions and immune evasion, pathogen evolution, antibiotic resistance and contemporary approaches to combat bacterial infections. This advanced course will be interactive and will include student-run seminars that critically analyze impactful papers related to bacterial pathogenesis. Lectures and seminars are the same as for IMIN 414, but with additional assignments and evaluation appropriate to graduate studies. Prerequisites: consent of the Instructor. Credit will only be given for one of IMIN 414, 514, MMI 405 and 505.