BS310-6-SP-CO:
Principles of Molecular Virology
2024/25
Life Sciences (School of)
Colchester Campus
Spring
Undergraduate: Level 6
Current
Monday 13 January 2025
Friday 21 March 2025
15
19 February 2024
Requisites for this module
BS223
(none)
(none)
(none)
(none)
BSC C555 Microbiology,
BSC C556 Microbiology (Including Foundation Year),
BSC C557 Microbiology (Including Year Abroad),
BSC C558 Microbiology (Including Placement Year),
MSCIC559 Microbiology and Biotechnology
Viruses have a major impact on humanity. They cause a number of acute human and animal diseases, which can be serious of even life-threatening but can also cause long-term complications such as paralysis.
Viruses can also lead to certain types of cancers and may even cause some forms of diabetes and heart disease. Plant viruses cause considerable economic losses and are a threat for sustainable agriculture. Research over the past 20 years has transformed our understanding of viruses and has provided a number of vaccines and anti-virus therapies and prophylactics. This module will give an introduction to the diversity, unique nature and importance of viruses then will show, using a number of detailed specific examples, how molecular biology approaches are used in their study and in diverse applications. The module will highlight molecular features of disease and current approaches to control viral infections.
The aims of this module are:
• To introduce students to the diversity and complexity of viruses, virus architecture and nomenclature.
• To provide students with an understanding of virus replication cycles, mechanisms of viral entry and spread of infection.
• To provide students with an understanding of host responses to viral infections
• To provide students with an understanding of laboratory research, diagnosis and therapy of viral diseases and the applications of viruses in science.
By the end of this module, students will be expected to be able to:
1. Critically evaluate how molecular biology approaches have enhanced the study of viruses,
2. Have a systematic understanding of the strategies adopted by viruses to replicate and express their genetic information,
3. Have a systematic understanding the route of viruses in disease and how this relates to molecular interactions with the infected cells,
4. Critically evaluate how the understanding of virus infections opens up the possibility of novel, therapeutic approaches,
5. Demonstrate critical competence in written communication and data analysis and interpretation.
The module will focus on different families of animal, plant and human viruses, principally those that cause cancers, epidemics and occasionally pandemics to humans. Specific virus families that will be covered in depth include coronaviruses, influenza viruses, poxviruses, filoviruses, oncogenic and plant viruses. For each type of viruses the following will be discussed: discovery and history, characteristics, pathogenesis, disease occurrence, transmission, replication cycles, vaccination and therapeutic approaches. Aspects of virus epidemiology and virus architecture will also be covered in lectures as well as the emergence of recent viruses that cause disease in humans, animals and plants. Finally, the forensic detection for the origin of viruses, plant and animal reservoirs will be discussed, which will include an introduction to viral evolution as well as describing the principles of a range of modern analytical techniques.
Principles of molecular virology
Lectures 1-2: Introduction to virology (Stathis Giotis)
1. Medical significance of viruses
* Classification of viruses.
* Overview of replication
* Definitions: acute, persistent and latent viruses. Viral zoonotic diseases.
* Laboratory research and diagnosis of viral diseases
* Early events in replication, including attachment to receptors. Cell entry and uncoating.
2. Viral genetics
* Replication strategies of viruses with different nucleic acid types and structures.
* Mutation rate ($l) versus mutation frequency.
* Consequences of viral mutation.
* Virus diversity.
Lecture 3: Virus structure (Vassiliy Bavro)
* Diversity of virus structures and incorporation into a classification scheme.
* Capsid symmetry and viral architecture, helical, icosahedral capsids.
* Viral microscopy- electron microscope.
* Evolution and crystallography of viruses.
Lecture 4: Immune responses to viruses (Stathis Giotis)
* Pathogen Associated Molecular Patterns and Pattern Recognition Receptors.
* Innate immune responses and role of interferons
* Types of Interferons and the interferome
* Specialised antiviral function of Interferon Stimulated genes (IFITM, Mx, and other)
* Innate immunity evasion strategies of viruses
Lecture 5: Zoonotic viruses causing pandemics I: Coronaviruses (example of single-stranded positive-sense RNA viruses) (Stathis Giotis)
* Relationship between coronaviruses and animal reservoirs
* Genome structure and comparisons to other +strand RNA viruses
* Replication strategy including protein processing and mechanism for generating sg mRNA
* How differences between SARS-1 and SARS-2 pandemics can be explained by their differences in biology
* Potential further pandemics
* Treatment and vaccination
Lecture 6: Zoonotic viruses causing pandemics II: Influenza viruses (example of segmented single-stranded negative-sense RNA viruses) (Stathis Giotis)
* Basic replication steps
* Seasonal infections
* Evolution of influenza humans
* Antigenic shifts = reassortments with viruses from a different host into humans
* Origin of the pandemics
* What is the bird flu, and what are the concerns?
* Vaccine approaches
* The effects of prior infection by other strains on current susceptibility to influenza
Lecture 7: Poxviruses (example of double-stranded DNA viruses) (Stathis Giotis)
* Relationships between different poxvirus genera and diversity of orthopoxviruses
* Characteristics of poxviruses
* Genome structure, replication
* Replication strategy including temporal RNA and generation of different membrane forms
* History of smallpox vaccine and eradication
* The possibility of other poxviruses adapting to humans
Lecture 8: Filoviruses: Ebola virus (example of single-stranded negative-sense RNA viruses) (Marian Killip)
* Historical and geographical distribution of filovirus outbreaks
* Ebola virus: Outbreaks in Africa,
* Ebola transmission,
* Ebola animal and human reservoirs,
* Mechanisms involved in EBOV pathogenesis.
* Ebola vaccine and therapeutics.
Lecture 9: Paramyxoviruses (negative-sense RNA viruses) (Marian Killip)
* Taxonomy
* Basic genome characteristics
* Transcription and replication
* Transmission and pathogenesis
* Prevention and therapy
* Emerging morbilliviruses
Lecture 10: Human cancer viruses- Introduction (Stathis Giotis)
* Types of viral-induced cancers
* Viral transformation and applications
* Human papillomaviruses
1. Cervical carcinogenesis
* Herpesviruses
1. Epstein Barr virus
2. African (endemic) Burkitt's lymphoma
3. Kaposi's sarcoma Herpes virus (HHV-8)
* Hepatitis B virus
* Adenoviruses
Lecture 11: RNA cancer viruses (Stathis Giotis)
* Retroviruses
1. Transducing retroviruses
2. Cis-acting/nontransducing retroviruses
3. Trans-activating/ nontransducing long latency retroviruses
* Mechanisms of cell transformation by retroviruses
* Oncogene activation by retroviruses infection
* Human T cell leukemia virus type-I (HTLV-I)
Lecture 12: Bacteriophages (John Ferguson)
* Classification and morphology
* Single stranded phages
* Lytic infection versus lysogeny
* Host defences and phage evasion
* Role of bacteriophages in horizontal gene transfer and contribution to spread of antibiotic resistance.
Lecture 13: Introduction to environmental and plant viruses (Pallavi Singh)
* Environmental and plant viruses
* Economical significance of plant viruses
* Plant physiology and viruses.
* Classification of plant viruses
* Transmission of plant viruses
Lecture 14: DNA plant viruses (John Ferguson)
* Cauliflower mosaic virus (CaMV)
* Tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV)
* African cassava mosaic virus (ACMV)
Lecture 15: RNA plant viruses (John Ferguson)
* Tobacco mosaic virus (TMV)
* Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV)
* Brome mosaic virus (BMV)
* Potato virus X (PVX)
Lecture 16: Plant Viruses and Bacteriophage-Based Reagents for Diagnosis and Therapy (Pallavi Singh)
Practical applications of plant viruses e.g.
* Viral nanocarriers for drug Delivery
* Phage nanocarriers and phage/gene therapy
* CRISPR/Cas9
* Viruses and virus-like particles for molecular imaging
Lecture 17: Virus diversity and evolution (Jennifer Hoyal Cuthill)
* Viral phylogenetics
* Viral diversity
* Phylogenetic patterns of RNA virus host switching
Lecture 18: Data Analysis and Interpretation (John Ferguson)
In this lecture, students will be introduced into the basics of qualitative and quantitative data analysis and interpretation of experimental studies. The learning objective is for students to be able to organize, summarize and describe scientific data and, second, to draw broader conclusions.
Lecture 19 and 20: Revision (Stathis Giotis)
Lectures: 18x 1hr and a 2 hr data analysis and interpretation lecture/revision
This module does not appear to have a published bibliography for this year.
Assessment items, weightings and deadlines
| Coursework / exam |
Description |
Deadline |
Coursework weighting |
| Exam |
Main exam: In-Person, Open Book (Restricted), 180 minutes during Summer (Main Period)
|
| Exam |
Reassessment Main exam: In-Person, Open Book (Restricted), 180 minutes during September (Reassessment Period)
|
Exam format definitions
- Remote, open book: Your exam will take place remotely via an online learning platform. You may refer to any physical or electronic materials during the exam.
- In-person, open book: Your exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer to any physical materials such as paper study notes or a textbook during the exam. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
- In-person, open book (restricted): The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer only to specific physical materials such as a named textbook during the exam. Permitted materials will be specified by your department. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
- In-person, closed book: The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may not refer to any physical materials or electronic devices during the exam. There may be times when a paper dictionary,
for example, may be permitted in an otherwise closed book exam. Any exceptions will be specified by your department.
Your department will provide further guidance before your exams.
Overall assessment
Reassessment
Module supervisor and teaching staff
Dr Efstathios Giotis, email: e.giotis@essex.ac.uk.
Dr Efstathios Giotis
School Undergraduate Office, email: bsugoffice (Non essex users should add @essex.ac.uk to create the full email address)
No
No
No
No external examiner information available for this module.
Available via Moodle
No lecture recording information available for this module.
* Please note: due to differing publication schedules, items marked with an asterisk (*) base their information upon the previous academic year.
Disclaimer: The University makes every effort to ensure that this information on its Module Directory is accurate and up-to-date. Exceptionally it can
be necessary to make changes, for example to programmes, modules, facilities or fees. Examples of such reasons might include a change of law or regulatory requirements,
industrial action, lack of demand, departure of key personnel, change in government policy, or withdrawal/reduction of funding. Changes to modules may for example consist
of variations to the content and method of delivery or assessment of modules and other services, to discontinue modules and other services and to merge or combine modules.
The University will endeavour to keep such changes to a minimum, and will also keep students informed appropriately by updating our programme specifications and module directory.
The full Procedures, Rules and Regulations of the University governing how it operates are set out in the Charter, Statutes and Ordinances and in the University Regulations, Policy and Procedures.