Biotechnology: Epidemics of Mankind - Viewed at a Molecular Level

AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis, influenza, smallpox, dengue fever, Ebola, Zika fever - all of these diseases are caused by the smallest of living organisms, so small in fact that they often cannot be seen by the naked eye. By making use of the latest strides forward in gene technology, molecular biology is making an important contribution towards elucidating the molecular mechanisms that cause such diseases today. Today, genetic engineering methods allow the analysis of the structures of pathogens, describe their importance for infection in human beings and identify the potential weaknesses or points of attack of a pathogen.

The lecture will focus on diseases such as AIDS, malaria and dengue fever. The relationship between human beings and pathogens at the molecular level will be discussed. It will be explained how diseases come about, how one can protect oneself and what weaknesses pathogens have, which can then be used to combat them. In particular, the molecular causes of disease and the associated genetic methods will be presented in detail and discussed.

B. Students will be able to acquire, articulate, retain and apply specialized scientific language and basic knowledge relevant to microbiology and human diseases.

C. Students will acquire basic historic knowledge of human diseases their hosts, transmission to humans and impacts on society.

D. Students will acquire knowledge on historic but also new emerging pathogens and how they infect humans.

E. Students will learn the details of infection at a molecular level describing proteins and cell receptors relevant for infection and the strategies to escape from the human immune defense.