Description
This module is designed to give students a broad understanding of microbiological principles related to microbes associated with human disease, diagnosis and treatment as well as their implications for public health both locally and globally. Through engaging with this module you will develop your Intellectual, Personal and Digital Abertay Attributes. In particular: * Master their subject, understand how it is evolving, appreciate the importance of interdisciplinarity and recognise how what has been learned can be applied * Be able to critically and rigorously evaluate information, and tackle uncertainty and information gaps with confidence and self-awareness. * Understand and embody self-awareness, honesty and integrity in their professional and personal lives. * Develop digital fluency, giving them knowledge, skills and confidence to embrace digital solutions.
Aims
The aim of this module is to provide the student with an understanding of microbial growth and microbial diseases of humans. Public Health implications of infectious diseases at local and global levels will also be explored. Students will gain knowledge of microbial characteristics, microbial identification, diagnosis, epidemiology, pathogenesis and public health to control of such infectious diseases .
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this module the student should be able to:
- Explain contemporary theories of microbial growth, metabolism, differentiation and motility.
- Analyse and discuss the results of practical experiments in an area related to bacterial and fungal identification and quantification.
- Discuss the role of public health on the control of infectious diseases including the data informing public health interventions.
Indicative Content
1 Microbial Growth, Reproduction and Motility
The microbial (bacterial) growth curve and it's phases. Prokaryotic cell cycle. Phenomena associated with the growth curve (e.g. incorporation of peptidoglycan, overlapping chromosome replication etc.). Microbial metabolism. True turning point. Dormancy. Stringent response. Endosporulation. Chemotaxis, Individual motility. Community motility. Biofilm structure & function, bacterial conjugation, transformation & transduction.
2 Infectious diseases
Overview clinically relevant infectious disease types including bacteria, fungi, viruses and protozoa.
3 Epidemiology and Public Health Measures
Transmission routes of disease agents - reservoirs, portals of entry, noscomial infections. Epidemiology - epidemics, pandemics, and endemic disease. Practical study of factors affecting epidemiology of diseases. Public health control methods - Vaccination, Sewage/Water treatment, legislation, public information etc.
4 Public Health Microbiology
Epidemiology and control of infectious diseases and the concept of One Health. This will be examined at both local and global levels.
5 Microbiology Laboratory skills
Aseptic technique, growth, quantification and identification of bacteria and fungi.
| Teaching and Learning Method | Hours |
|---|---|
| Lecture | 24 |
| Tutorial/Seminar | 12 |
| Supervised Practical Activity | 9 |
| Unsupervised Practical Activity | 0 |
| Assessment | 50 |
| Independent | 105 |
Guidance Notes
SCQF Level - The Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework provides an indication of the complexity of award qualifications and associated learning and operates on an ascending numeric scale from Levels 1-12 with SCQF Level 10 equating to a Scottish undergraduate Honours degree.
Credit Value – The total value of SCQF credits for the module. 20 credits are the equivalent of 10 ECTS credits. A full-time student should normally register for 60 SCQF credits per semester.
Disclaimer
We make every effort to ensure that the information on our website is accurate but it is possible that some changes may occur prior to the academic year of entry. The modules listed in this catalogue are offered subject to availability during academic year 2025/6, and may be subject to change for future years.