Applied Molecular Microbiology | Makerere University Courses

Course Code:

MBS 7219

Course Credit Units:

2

Semester:

Semester 2

Year of Study:

Year 1

Undergraduate or Graduate Level:

Graduate Level

Academic Programs:

Master of Science In Molecular Biology And Biotechnology

College:

College of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Resources & Bio-security

School:

School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Resources

Department:

Veterinary Parasitology and Microbiology

Course Discipline:

science

Course Description & Objectives:

In this course, broad subjects in applied aspects of microorganisms and viruses in the environmental, food and medical microbiology; and biotechnology are covered. The basic concept of bio-production processes; applied molecular biology techniques in vaccine and drug discovery, tracking of infectious transmissible environmental microbes (e.g. food, zoonoses, biological warfare) and of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are also considered. Objectives:

Review the molecular pathogenesis of microbial and viral agents
To acquaint the student with the molecular tools used for studying/investigating and detecting the microbial and viral agents
To impart knowledge on the principles of microbial vaccine development and drug discovery
To instruct students on the principles behind microbial applications within biotechnology and environmental sciences and to impart skills to screen and isolate useful microbes/genes for a given purpose

Learning Outcomes:

At the end of the course, the students should be able to:

Analyze the phylogenetic relationships of microorganisms and evaluate their potential for production of enzymes and other bioactive molecules.
Select and discuss basic and advanced methods for investigation of microorganisms in complex environments
Evaluate the application potentials of microorganisms in various fields of life
Identify new and improved candidate vaccine strains and drug targets for the important microbial and viral pathogens