Immunology and Microbiology, Course number 1BI041 in the KI Biomedicine programme

Since 2009, I have been the organiser and main lecturer in the Virology Section of the Immunology and Microbiology course in the KI Biomedicine Undergraduate Program. I give the following 1-hour lectures annually:

1. Introduction to Virology
In which I introduce the subject, mention some highlights from the history of virology, discuss some central concepts about what viruses are, and attempt to convince my students to become virologists.

2. Virus Structure
Here, we discuss some concepts in viral structural biology. The lecture concludes with a description of methods that are used to reveal viral structures.

3. Virus Classification
Here, I discuss criteria for classifying viruses and describe some examples of human pathogenic viruses from each of the major taxonomic groups. I also describe some common virology laboratory protocols that might be relevant for other lectures in the series.

4. Virus Replication: Cell Entry, Genome replication, Assembly

This 2-hour double lecture gives an overview of a viral infectious cycle, from host cell attachment and entry, through genome expression and replication to viral assembly and egress.

5. Viral Pathogenesis and Patterns of Infection
This lecture describes the molecular basis of viral pathogenesis, the stages of viral replication in a susceptible host, comparing abd contrasting acute and persistent infections.

6. Subversion of Cellular Functions: Translation
Here, I discuss mechanisms by which viruses take over the cell’s protein synthesis machinery to direct the translation of their mRNAs.

7. Subversion of Cellular Functions: Cell Cycle and Apoptosis
Examples of how viruses control the cell replication and cell death pathways and how this can lead to transformation of cells and association of relevant viruses with human cancers

8. Viral Evasion of Innate Immunity
Here, I describe some mechanisms by which viruses evade cell intrinsic innate immunity, focussing on the type I Interferon response.

9. Viral Evasion of Adaptive Immunity
Here, I describe some mechanisms by which viruses evade humoral and cellular adaptive immunity.

10. Positive Strand RNA viruses
I describe common features of the positive stranded RNA viruses and introduce the major families in the group.

12. Emerging Viruses
I describe what is meant by the term ‘emerging viruses’ and discuss, with some in depth examples of recent epidemics, some of the driving factors for viral emergence.

19. Antivirals
This lecture describes some well-known antiviral drugs, their mechanisms of action, and their target viruses abilities to generate resistance.

20.Viral Vectors
In this lecture, subtitled ‘The Domestication of Viruses’, I give some examples of how the properties of certain viruses make them suitable for use as recombinant viral vectors in academic research and in clinical applications. This lecture also serves the introduction to the 3-day lab course “Semliki Forest virus – a pathogen and a tool in research”.

21.Virology Quiz
A selection of 30-40 multiple choice questions on concepts covered in the course, provides a fun way to provoke discussions and to revise the course material ahead of the exam.

Guest lecturers are invited for the following lectures:

11. Negative Strand RNA viruses
13. Influenza virus
14. SARS-CoV-2
15. HIV
16. Hepatitis C virus
17. Human herpes viruses
18. Human papillomavirus

Degree Project, Course number 1BI034 in the KI Biomedicine programme

From 2012 until 2023 I was the main examiner of the Degree project course, 30 credit points and the final course in the KI Bachelor’s programme in Biomedicine. During the degree project the students joined an active research group at KI or in partner universities around the world, to perform discrete research projects related to the group’s research. During this time, the students are expected to further deepen their knowledge about the specific projects and also the subject area of the projects through reading relevant scientific articles. At the conclusion of the course, the students submit a written report and give a short talk about their work.