COURSE DESCRIPTION: The study of viruses helped lay the foundation of modern molecular biology, and continues to provide new insights into the biology of cells and organisms. We live in an increasingly interconnected and crowded world in which “new” viruses can emerge and spread throughout the globe seemingly overnight, and are being discovered at an ever-accelerating pace through cutting-edge genome sequence-based technologies. At the same time, “old” viruses such as HIV-1 remain a global threat and viruses we thought we had defeated, such as measles, are resurgent today. Therefore, a sophisticated and broad-based understanding of animal viruses is needed now more than ever. In this course, we will study how viruses are put together, how they multiply in their hosts and cause disease, how we find new viruses and characterize them, and how we exploit them as tools for basic research and therapeutics.

'Viruses' will be kicked off with a lecture by a noted virologist. This will be followed by didactic lectures featuring Einstein’s own virology faculty complemented by invited outside speakers. All speakers are international experts in different areas of the study of viruses. The course is organized into 6 units and the lectures will cover virus structure, mechanisms of virus entry and replication, regulation of viral and host gene expression, virus assembly, virus egress, host responses to viral infections, and viral pathogenesis.

‘Viruses’ will demonstrate how these basic principles offer opportunities for diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of prevalent and emerging viral diseases, and for the development of new applications that utilize viruses as tools.

Course Objectives: To be able to understand the fundamentals about viruses: how they replicate, how they cause disease, how they evolve. Students should be able to appreciate the intricacies of viral biology to a level that allows them to be able to think about how to devise strategies of control – by virus inhibition or via vaccines.

PREREQUISITES: Biochemistry, Gene Expression: Beyond the Double Helix, and Molecular Genetics courses are recommended, but not mandatory.

REQUIRED MATERIALS: 

- A computer to access email and internet.

- Principles of Virology 4th Edition. by S.J. Flint, V. R. Racaniello, Rall, G. and A.M. Skalka (2015) ASM Press. ISBN # 978-1-55581-9330.

SUITABLE FOR 1ST YEAR STUDENTS: Yes.

STUDENT ASSESSMENTS: The entire course is graded on two take home exams. The exams are graded on a curve. No minimum set.

CREDIT HOURS: 3.0