Course Descriptions (rev July 2018)
Professional Courses:
MSEG 7216: Introduction to Infectious Diseases (Medical Students)
This course is offered during the first semester of the second year of the MD Program. It introduces the students to the basic concepts of medical microbiology including: microbial structure, physiology, genetics and metabolism, antimicrobial therapy and basic immunology and host response to infectious diseases. The epidemiology, pathogenesis, clinical presentation, diagnostic and prevention of infectious conditions cause by bacteria, virus and parasites will be discussed.
CBIO 7150. Microbiology (Dental Students)
The course emphasizes fundamental principles of the genetics, growth metabolism and death of microbes. These principles are balanced with medical and dental aspects of host-parasite relations, immunologic phenomena, and the biological and clinical manifestations induced by major pathogens. Stress is placed on organisms related to dental caries and periodontal and periapical diseases. Further, the student should understand the influence of microorganisms and its associated biologic phenomena on patient’ health. The course is based on lectures, laboratory exercises and clinical correlations.
FARM 7285. Microbiology (Pharmacy Students)
This course includes the fundamentals of microbiology, specifically the concepts related to medical microbiology, such as: bacterial physiology, metabolism, genetics, sterilization and disinfections, and immunology. In addition, syndromes caused by different types of organisms are studied. Active learning strategies and methodologies will be utilized.
MICR 4006. Medical Bacteriology (Medical Technology Students)
Microbiology and Immunology lectures and laboratories with emphasis in the technical procedures used in the isolation and identification of bacteria, viruses and fungi pathogenic to man.
ZOME 6503. Medical Parasitology (Medical Technology Students)
The study of helminths and protozoa of medical importance. The course consists of lectures and laboratory sessions.
Graduate Courses
MICR 8499. Introduction to Medical Microbiology
Subject matter will include the study of microbial physiology, microbial genetics and different infectious agents such as bacteria, viruses and fungi. The course will cover the distinguishing characteristics of these organisms, culture methods, pathological processes in which they are involved, and immune responses, which they stimulate in the infected host. This is an introductory course, consisting of lectures and laboratory sessions, which is a requirement for all graduate students who are entering the Graduate Program in Microbiology and is designed to provide the basis for more specialized courses in Microbiology.
MICR 8596. Introduction to Research
The course is for students of 1st Year and consists of laboratory sessions to become the student familiar with the different research projects being conducted in our department, as well as provide hands-on experience with the techniques and instrumentation used. The student will have the opportunity to participate in scientific discussions with each Laboratory Director, other Principal Investigators, laboratory personnel and other graduate students. This exposure will allow the student to identify, early in his/her training period, the preferred discipline and specific area for student’s Dissertation Project and a potential Dissertation Advisory / Director.
MICR 8501. Diagnostic Bacteriology
The course consists of lectures, laboratory and discussion sessions related to the laboratory methods and techniques for isolation and identification of the most important bacterial pathogens.
MICR 8504-06. Advanced Topics in Medical Bacteriology
The course entails discussion of topics of interest that are pertinent to medical bacteriology. The topics must be approved by a faculty member and can be taken more than once, to the maximum of 3 credits.
MICR 8510. Virology
The course entails the study of the fundamental characteristics of viruses and the methods of tissue culture. The course will cover the basic characteristics of viruses that affect humans, including structure, replication, and evolution, their pathogenic effects in the host and host responses to infection.
MICR 8514-16. Advanced Topics in Virology
Topics of interest related to virology will be discussed. The topic to be discuss needs to be approve by the departmental faculty.
MICR 8517. Selected Topics in Microbiology
Selected and current topics in microbiology will be discussed. This course will be offered by one or more members of the department, or by invited professors. The topic to be discuss needs to be approve by the departmental faculty. Students may register for this course up to three times, each time in a different semester.
MICR 8518. Advanced Microbiology
Selected and current topics in microbiology will be discussed.
MICR 8525. Molecular Biology and Genetics of Microorganisms
This course is offered to the second-year students in the Biomedical Sciences Program. it will include the study of the basis of genetic expression in eukaryotic organisms, the theoretical aspects of recombinant DNA and RNA and current topics of molecular biology of microorganisms.
MICR 8530. Mycology
The study of the fundamentals characteristics of pathogenic fungi and its pathology, immunology and diagnosis of the disease they cause.
MICR 8530-31. Mycology Laboratory
The laboratory techniques used in the diagnosis of fungal diseases.
MICR 8532-34. Advanced Topics in Mycology
Topics of interest related to medical or environmental mycology will be discussed.
MICR 8540. Principles of Immunology
The course entails basic concepts of immunology and hypersensitivity at the humoral and cellular level, tumor immunology, cancer and transplant. It includes, in addition, basic concepts in immunochemistry.
MICR 8542-44. Advanced Topics in Immunology
The course will cover topics related to immunology or immunochemistry.
MICR 8580. Graduate Seminar
The graduate student will attend the seminars presented by other members of the Department and will present a one-hour seminar during the semester.
MICR 8590. Teaching Practice
The student will be an instructor, under supervision of one of the faculty members, in one of the laboratories of the undergraduate or professional courses offered by the Department of Microbiology and Medical Zoology.
MICR 8595. Master’s Thesis
The student will dedicate at least one semester to full-time research on his/her thesis. Academic credits for this work will be awarded once the thesis is presented by the student and approved by his/her Thesis Committee.
MICR8599. Doctoral Dissertation
The student will dedicate at least one year to full-time research on his/her dissertation. Academic credits for this work will be awarded once the thesis is presented by the student and approved by his/her Dissertation Committee.
ZOME 8502. Introduction to Parasitology
This course covers the general concepts of parasitism, with emphasis on the impact that parasites have on human health and on that of domestic animals. Discussed topics will include the biology, transmission, and identification of parasites.
ZOME 8504. Nematodes
The course covers the general characteristics and morphological details of selected parasitic nematodes. In addition to the lectures, discussion will include previous publications, epidemiological, historical and evolutionary aspects of each organism of interest. A weekly laboratory will enable the student to learn the most frequently used techniques in diagnosis and research on these organisms.
ZOME 8506. Protozoa
The objective of this course is to familiarize the student with current areas of emphasis in a) studies of protozoan parasites of medical importance, and b) protozoan diseases of global importance. The student will become familiar with recent publications relevant to the topics of the course, critical analysis of the published material and of the interpretation of the results.
ZOME 8513-16. Laboratory Methods in Parasitology
This course consists of lectures and laboratory exercises during which methods and most refined techniques, appropriate to the assigned special problems, will be taught to each student.
MICR 8596. Preparation Thesis/Dissertation Proposal
This course is for all students in the MS and PhD program, its purpose is to provide the students with essential information of how to write the research thesis/dissertation proposal integrating the microbiological basic concepts and the latest scientific information in the selected area of research specialization. The course will provide the information of how to write a thesis/dissertation as a RO1 proposal.
MICR 8519. Biotechnology and Experimental Immunology
This course is offered during the 3rd year and consists of lectures and laboratory sessions. The purpose is to develop practical skills in basic techniques for handling and characterization of genes, expression and purification of protein antigens as well as in the development and optimization of immunoenzymatic assays useful for serodiagnosis of infectious diseases.
MICR 8541. Immunochemistry Methods
This course is for second year students in the microbiology graduate program. In this course we will study basic concepts in immunochemistry and how to apply them in the design and optimization of immunoenzymatic assay in the detection of antigen and antibody which could be apply to the diagnosis of infectious diseases.
MICR 8546. Vaccine design, development and implementation
In this course general aspects of vaccination including safety and adverse reactions will be studied. The history of vaccines, followed by the types of vaccines, the scientific approach to vaccine development and their benefits and risk will be studied. We will review all the necessary steps for vaccine production, starting with design methods and development, up to the new technologies available for mass production. The methods available in the public health system to monitor their efficacy will be described. Controversies regarding vaccines adverse reactions will be discussed.
MICR8597. Comprehensive Exam
The dissertation advisor in conjunction with the member of the thesis committee will provide the students the selected scientific material containing essential information for the comprehensive examination. The course will allow the student to integrate the basic concepts of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Biology learned during the first 2 years of graduate studies and apply all this knowledge to the area of specialization (Parasitology, Virology, Bacteriology or Mycology) in which the student plan to develop the research thesis proposal. Topics to be offered include the evaluation of recent literature, hypothesis discussion, understanding new and complexes technologies, data analysis, and critical discussion of previous scientific publications in their field of interest. This will provide the students the tools that will allow the student to propose new hypothesis and approaches for a better understanding of the problems to be investigated. The material will be presented as discussions of specific topics recently published in scientific journals and review of literature related to the specific student proposal.
MICR 8545. Immune Cell Trafficking
The course is designed for students in the microbiology graduate program (PhD and MS) that have completed the basic course of immunology. It will consist of lectures and paper discussion with the purpose to re-introduce students to all relevant immune cell populations and the molecular factors involved in the process of migration. The educational duty will be the discussion of primary literature (scientific research publications), where the student will have the opportunity to explore the initial observations that led to experimental design, results and conclusions of different concepts. There will be emphasis on historical publications as a tool of knowledge, guiding the student though the evolution of the particular subjects over the years. At the end of the course it is expected the student to have a better understanding for the discussed material and to have develop new routes of scientific critical analysis.
MICR 8517/MICR8518. Molecular Diagnostic Methods in Microbiology
This course is designed for students in the microbiology graduate program (PhD and MS) interested in acquiring knowledge in molecular techniques commonly applied in basic and clinical research within the field of microbiology with emphasis in diagnostic method, as well as in the proteomic and genomic characterization of the microorganisms.