Universitat Internacional de Catalunya
Microbiology and Immunology
Other languages of instruction: Catalan, English
If the student is enrolled for the English track then classes for that subject will be taught in the same language and also in Catalan.
Teaching staff
Questions will be answered in person with the involved instructor. Questions will not be answered by mail.
To make an appointment:
Microbiology:
Rocco Mazzolini (rmazzolini@uic.es)
Immunology
Natalia Ricco (anricco@uic.es)
Introduction
Microbiology and immunology, from the point of view of a health professional,are two sides of the same coin. The first is dedicated to the study of a broad group of living organisms with which we coexist and establish different degrees of interactions. In addition to economic reasons, we will focus in the ability of many microorganisms to cause diseases in humans. The immunology, on the other hand, deals with the mechanisms disposed by the human body to protect against the infections caused by, among others, the microorganisms.
Pre-course requirements
Students must have a previous knowledge in biochemistry, human genetics, molecular biology, cellular biology. The student`s access route assures the basic knowledge needed to follow the present subject.
Objectives
The first goal of this subject is to provide the student with knowledge about the characteristics and peculiarities of a broad variety of organisms with which we establish a number of steady interactions as well as the benefits and damages that can be determined by then. Special interest will of course be given to oral microbiology.
As important as the former goal is to provide structural and functional overview of the immune system, both in health and disease conditions, again focusing in the special immunological characteristics of the mouth and the oral cavity.
The last goal of this subject is to show the student the most relevant techniques and processes employed in this scientific fields in order to provide a critical capacity useful for the latter professional career.
Competences/Learning outcomes of the degree programme
- 07 - Promoting new knowledge and techniques being acquired through autonomous learning, as well as the motivation to achieve quality.
- 11 - Understanding the basic biomedical science Dentistry is based on in order to ensure that adequate dental healthcare is provided.
- 14 - Being aware of the general processes of the illness, including infection, inflammation, alterations in the immune system, degeneration, neoplasm, metabolic alterations and genetic disorders.
- 18 - Being aware of, critically evaluating and knowing how to use sources of clinical and biomedical infomation in order to obtain, organise, interpret and communicate scientific and healthcare-related information.
- 32 - Knowing the biomedical science on which Dentistry is based in order to ensure adequate oral and dental care. This science must include material on: (a). Embryology, anatomy, histology and the physiology of the human body (b). Genetics, Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology and (c). Microbiology and immunology.
- 35 - Knowing the scientific principles of sterilisation, disinfection and the antiseptics necessary to prevent cross-infection in dental practice
Learning outcomes of the subject
Knowledge and understanding of the microbiotic world in terms of existence, history diversity and characteristics.
Knowledge of the most common infectious diseases determined by the different types of microorganisms.
Knowledge on the different tools for control of microorganisms' growth and the infections determined by then.
Knowledge of the economical and scientific relevance of microorganisms
Knowledge of the basic techniques on how to handle and interpret microbiological data
Knowledge on the structure and function of the immune system both in health and disease conditions
Knowledge on the transfer to the human healthcare of the advances in the field of the immunology.
Dysfunction of the immune system
Interpretation of the clinical information related to the immune system.
Knowledge of scientific vocabulary in English and Spanish in the field of Immunology
- 1.01 - Know the different types of microorganisms that interact with the human body
- 1.02 - Know the most common infectious diseases and the pathogens that cause them
- 1.03 - Diagnose, treat and prevent the most common infections in dentistry
- 1.04 - Know the organization of our immune system: molecules, cells and organs
- 1.05 - Manage with immunology infections and tumors, as well as auto-immunity
- 1.06 - Understand and describe the embryological origin of human
- 1.12 - Solve clinical problems from deductions made with the basic knowledge of anatomy and physiology of the human body
- 1.32 - Will know the general processes of falling ill, including genetic alterations
- 1.33 - Will know better the scientific method and will have critical capacity to assess the established knowledge and new information
- 1.34 - Will get the rudiments to assess published basic research
- 1.36 - – Will know genetic diagnostic testing of laboratory, its reliability and diagnostic validity and begin to be able to interpret the results
- 1.37 - Will value as necessary the knowledge throughout life
- 1.39 - Will learn the general processes of falling ill, including metabolic alterations.
- 1.40 - Will know the clinical biochemistry tests, its reliability and diagnostic validity and begin to be able to interpret their results
Syllabus
Immunology
Unit 1. Description of the immune system: Immune system the sixth sense, structure and function of the immune system: organs, cells and molecules.
Unit 2. The innate part of the immune system: the complement system, the macrophage
Unit 3. The adaptive part of the immune system: antigens and antigen presentation, the MHC / HLA system
Unit 4. The adaptive part of the immune system: T and B lymphocyte, diversity in the immune system
Unit 5. The immune system in action: immunity against microorganisms, immunity against tumors.
Unit 6. The immune system in action: immunity from transplants, vaccines.
Unit 7. Dysfunctions of the immune system: immune tolerance, immunodeficiencies.
Unit 8. Dysfunctions of the immune system: autoimmunity, hypersensitivity
Unit 9. Immunological techniques: poly / monoclonal antibodies, flow cytometry, ELISA, cell cultures, cell lines.
Microbiology
Unit 1. Introduction to Microbiology: definition and overview, brief history, key figures, oral microbiology today.
Unit 2. I Analysis and microbiological diagnosis (laboratory techniques): standard microbiological practices, antigen detection, identification of microorganisms, technical-omics (genomics, proteomics ...)
Unit 3. Laboratory techniques: control of microbial growth, sterilisation.
Unit 4. Morphology and bacterial surface structures: cytoplasmic membrane wall bacterial outer membrane of Gram negative bacteria, capsule
Unit 5. Bacterial appendices, extracellular products and intracellular structures: mobility flagella, fimbriae and pili, toxins, bacterial spores, organelles of eukaryotic microorganisms
Unit 6. Bacterial metabolism: an overview of bacterial metabolism, energy generation pathways, culture media, main metabolic characteristics of oral bacteria
Unit 7. Specific microbial genetics: generation of genetic variability, conjugation, transposition, transformation. Genome projects.
Unit 8. Virology: general characteristics of viruses and viral replication, virus quantification
Unit 9. Main families of viruses: bacteriophage and human pathogenic viruses
Unit 10. Health microbiology: microbial pathogenicity, microorganism-person relationship, transmission of microorganisms.
Unit 11. Introduction to bacterial taxonomy: bacterial species concept, classification of bacteria
Unit 12. Major families of bacteria: taxonomic characteristics of oral bacteria
Unit 13. Microbial diversity: fungi and parasites oral Interest
Unit 14. Oral Microbiology of dental plaque, caries.
Unit 15. Periodontal, endodontic and peri-implant microbiology and processes.
Problem based learning:
- Vaccines
- Immunology of transplants & implants
- Pregnancy immunology
- Immunomodulation
- Oral microbiology
- Massive sequencing
- Scientific papers
Teaching and learning activities
In person
Lecture: Presentation during two hours (with a break of 10 minutes) of a theoretical topic by the teacher with audio-visual support based on presentations projected from the computer. The student will have the contents in advance through Moodle.
Problem-Based Learning (PBL) / Clinical Cases: The student will be presented with a real or imaginary situation related to an immunological case. Students will work on the questions asked in groups and will be assigned a day for clinical case. The clinical case will be presented for 30 minutes by the assigned group. There will be another 30 minutes to discuss the suggested questions and others that may eventually arise during the development of the discussion. Conclusions will be presented as a colophon.
Practices (P): Familiarization of students with the basic techniques of work and manipulation of microorganisms and components of the immune system in a laboratory. Demonstration in the laboratory of some aspects raised in the master classes. Consolidation through the practice of the most important aspects treated in the theoretical classes.
“Online” documentation (DO): Certain contents, either due to their impossibility to be acquired by other means, or due to an eminently electronic support will be available in Moodle.
Evaluation systems and criteria
In person
1) Students in first call:
- Class activities: 20%
- Oral presentation: 10%
- Lab practice: 10%
- Final exam: 60%
Teachers reserve 10% of the mark to be granted on subjective items such as: involvement, participation, respect for basic standards, etc.
2) Students in second call: same criteria as in the first call.
3) Students repeating the subject: continuos evaluation grade (class activities, oral presentation, lab practices) will be kept in their profiles. Even though whenever they wish, students will be able to repeat class attendance and obtain a new grade.
General considerations about the assessment system:
EVALUATION SYSTEM:
1) In the final exam, a minimum grade of 5 must be obtained in order to be able to average the marks of continuous evaluation (class activities, oral presentation and lab practices).
2) In adition to (1), to pass the subject the average of all the evaluations items must be 5 or more.
3) In the granting of grades with Honors, special consideration will be given to participation in the lab practices, general attitude and involvment in the subjetc, lecture participaction, etc.
EXAMS AND ORAL PRESENTATIONS:
1) The final exam will be face-to-face in the classroom, both in the 1st and 2nd sitting.
2) The resolution of short tests-type exams will be also face-to-face in the classroom and in digital format.
3) The final exam will be test-type and marked as follows: 1 point for each correct answer, - 0.25 points for every wrong answer. Non - marked options will not have an impact in the grade.
4) The short tests-type exam (from the continuous evaluation) does not remove topics from the final test.
5) The final exam will include the content given in lectures and oral presentations.
6) Is not mandatory to do the oral presentation. In that case, the grade for this category will be 0.
7) Class participation and lab practices will be evaluated by short tests-type exams.
ATTENDANCE:
1) Attendance to practical lessons is compulsory and students must attend in the assigned groups. Not attending these sessions will make the student fail the subject.
2) Attendance to the oral presentation sessions is not mandatory, but it will be registered and each absence will be penalized with -0.1 point, which will be subtracted directly from the oral presentation grade.
3) Attendance to lectures will not be registered, but in order to get the best possible results it is highly recommended to attend to the maximum number of sessions. Students will have to follow the standards indicated by the instructors. The expulsion of student from class will have a negative impact on the evaluation.
GENERAL:
The improper use of electronic devices such as cell phones, tablets or laptops may result in class expulsion. Misuse is understood as recording and dissemination of students or teachers during the different lessons as well as the use of these devices for recreational and non-educational purposes.
Bibliography and resources
- Basic Immunology: functions and disorders of the immune system. A.K. Abbas, A.H. Lichtman, S. Pillai. Elsevier Ed. 5ª ed.
- Janeway's Inmunobiology. Kenneth Murphy @ Casey Weaver. 9th ed. 2009. Ed. Garland Science.
- Kuby. Immunology. 8th edition. Punt. Stranford.Jones. Owen. Ed. w.h. freeman.
- Microbiología Estomatológica: Fundamentos y guía práctica (3ª edición). Marta Negroni. Ed Médica. Panamericana
- Brock. Microbiología de los microorganismos. M.T. Madigan, J.M. Martinko y J. Parker. 10ª Ed. Prentice Hall.1999.
- Microbiología. Prescott, Harley y Klein. McGraw-Hill 7ª Ed, 2008.
- Microbiología Médica. P.R. Murray, K.S. Rosenthal y M.A. Pfaller. 7ª Ed. Elsevier Science. 2013.
- Sherris. Microbiología Médica. Una introducción a las Enfermedades Infecciosas. K.J. Ryan y C.G. Ray editores. 4ª Ed. McGraw-Hill Interamericana. 2004.
Evaluation period
- E1 08/05/2023 A16 08:00h
- E1 08/05/2023 A14 08:00h
- E1 08/05/2023 A15 08:00h
- R1 31/05/2023 A01 10:00h
- E2 22/06/2023 A01 10:00h
- E2 22/06/2023 A02 10:00h
- R2 04/07/2023 A02 10:00h