Høst 2024

BIO-3609 Basal and Comparative Immunology - 10 stp

The course is administrated by

Norges fiskerihøgskole

Type of course

Mandatory course for students admitted to Master in Akvamedisin. The course is available as a singular course.

Course overlap

MBI-2004 Immunology 8 ects

Course contents

This course aims to provide an understanding of the components (organs, cells and molecules) of the vertebrate immune system and their mood of action. The lectures will focus both on mammalian species (humans and mice) and on different species of bony fish. The course will particularly discuss on how the immune system recognize and protects the body from infectious microorganisms like virus, bacteria, fungi and parasites. The student will learn how immune responses, including innate and adaptive responses, are initiated, and terminated, and how the immune system "remembers" a pathogenic intruder such that it can respond stronger at subsequent infections (the basis for vaccination). An overview of the immune system in fish, with emphasis on aquaculture species, is provided and key differences among mammalian and fish immune responses are highlighted.

Admission requirements

Bachelor`s degree (180 ECTS) or equivalent qualification, with a major in biology of minimum 80 ECTS.An average grade of equivalent to C or better in the Norwegian grading system is required.

Application code: 9371

Obligatory prerequisites

BIO-2601 General microbiology, MBI-1001 Cell and molecular biologyor BIO-1601 Introduction to microbiology, BIO-2601 General microbiology, MBI-1002 Cell- and molecular biology

Objective of the course

By the completion of the course, students are expected to have the following learning outcomes:

Knowledge: The Candidate

knows the key differences between innate and adaptive immunity
Knows the differences between a primary and a secondary immune response
knows the principal organization of lymphoid organs of mammals and fish
knows about immunological cell types, their effector mechanisms and the typical tissue location and the mechanisms for migration and tissue invasion by different immune cells.
knows which function various cytokines and the complement system has
knows the essential immune molecules / receptors - B and T cell receptors and MHC Class I and II
Outline the mechanisms for the generation of diverse antigen receptor repertoires in the T and B lymphocyte populations and the roles of RAG and TdT enzymes in this process.
explain how and where adaptive immune responses are initiated and the principles of clonal selection and clonal expansion in adaptive immune responses, and the difference between naive, effector and memory lymphocytes.
know the differences in the defence against bacteria and viruses
understand the immunological principles behind vaccines, including adjuvants, and mechanisms for induction of immunological memory by vaccination.

Skills: The Candidate can

evaluate the potential effects of different prophylactic treatments including vaccines and vaccination strategies on the mammalian versus fish immune responses
contrast key differences and similarities among mammalian and fish immune organs, cells and molecules

General knowledge: The Candidate

has a good overview of the immune systems of mammals (humans and mice) and bony fish

Language of instruction

English

Teaching methods

Lectures and seminars.