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Course Offerings

Course Details

Fall 2011-2012
MOL 559  

Viruses: Strategy and Tactics

Lynn W. Enquist

Viruses are unique parasites of living cells and may be the most abundant, highest evolved life forms on the planet. The general strategies encoded by all known viral genomes are discussed using selected viruses as examples. The first half of the course covers the molecular biology (the tactics) inherent in these strategies. The second half introduces the biology of engagement of viruses with host defenses, what happens when viral infection leads to disease, vaccines and antiviral drugs, and the evolution of infectious agents and emergence of new viruses.

Sample reading list:
Lombardi VC, et al, Science 2009, 326:585-589
UNAIDS/WHO 2007. AIDS Epidemic, Available at http://www.unaids.org
Joseph G. Victoria, et al, J. Virology 2009 83: 4642-4651
Tumpey, TM et al, Science 2005 310: 77-80
Marsh, M. and Helenius, A., Cell 2006 124:729-740
Arhel, N. et al, Nature Methods 2006 3: 817-824
See instructor for complete list

Reading/Writing assignments:
Assigned readings from literature or selected texts prior to class discussion

Requirements/Grading:
Mid Term Exam - 35%
Other Exam - 50%
Class/Precept Participation - 15%

Other Requirements:
Not Open to Freshmen.

Other information:
Graduate students will take the midterm written exam, but will write a paper on selected topics in virology in lieu of a final exam. Graduate students will also attend a separate preceptorial session lead by a postdoctoral fellow where seminal papers in virology are analyzed and discussed.

Schedule/Classroom assignment:

Class numberSectionTimeDaysRoomEnrollmentStatus
20942 L01 11:00 am - 11:50 am M W F   Schultz Laboratory   107   Enrolled:4 Limit:65
P01 7:30 pm - 8:50 pm T   Thomas Laboratory   117   Enrolled:0 Limit:15