[bioundgrd] 7.340 Unusual Biology: The Science of Emerging Pathogens

[Joyce Roberge]

7.340 Unusual Biology: The Science of Emerging Pathogens
Instructors: Ana Camejo (acamejo at mit.edu<mailto:acamejo at mit.edu>, 5-4031; laboratory of Jeroen Saeij)
                    Dan Gold (oro27 at mit.edu<mailto:oro27 at mit.edu>, 5-4031; laboratory of Jeroen Saeij)
Spring 2013.  Thursdays, 1 pm – 3 pm. (Class date and time is flexible.) Room 68-150.

Course summary:
Infectious diseases represent a serious global public health problem. They have the potential to kill millions of people, whether they emerge naturally as outbreaks or pandemics, or deliberately through bioterrorism. Each day, infectious disease scientists serve on the front lines protecting us from such threats. Emerging pathogens are those that appear in a human population for the first time or are expanding into areas and populations where they have not previously been reported. These organisms have evolved specialized strategies for proliferation and survival in their hosts, and these strategies often involve unique biological processes. Such processes range from atypical cell biology intrinsic to the pathogen to alterations in the behavior of the host caused by the pathogen. In this course students will learn how to design and critique experiments through the discussion of primary research articles that explore the molecular basis of disease caused by emerging pathogens. Some examples of diseases caused by emerging pathogens are the Bubonic Plague, Toxoplasmosis, African Sleeping Sickness, and Chagas Disease. We will include studies that use a diversity of scientific methods and will discuss a variety of investigative approaches, including genetics, biochemistry, cell biology, and genomics/proteomics. Refreshments will be provided during class.

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