Course Description
This course introduces the principles of immunology and infectious diseases through hands-on laboratory investigations. Students develop practical skills in microbiological, virological, parasitological, and immunological techniques while learning to detect, identify, and characterize infectious agents and evaluate host immune responses.
Athena Title
Infectious Disease Diagnostics
Prerequisite
IDIS 3000
Pre or Corequisite
IDIS 3100 or IDIS 3200
Semester Course Offered
Offered spring
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Student learning Outcomes
- Students will safely perform fundamental diagnostic laboratory techniques used in immunology and infectious disease laboratories, including molecular, microbiological, virological, parasitological, and immunological methods while following appropriate biosafety and laboratory safety procedures.
- Students will analyze, interpret, and communicate experimental data generated from diagnostic laboratory techniques to identify infectious agents, characterize host immune responses, and draw evidence-based conclusions.
- Students will evaluate diagnostic approaches by selecting appropriate laboratory methods, assessing experimental controls, recognizing limitations and sources of error, and justifying conclusions using scientific evidence.
- Students will collaborate effectively in laboratory teams to conduct experiments, solve diagnostic problems, communicate scientific findings, and provide constructive peer feedback while demonstrating professionalism and ethical laboratory practices.
- Students will integrate laboratory evidence from multiple diagnostic techniques to identify the causative agent of an unknown infectious disease outbreak and recommend appropriate diagnostic and disease-control strategies.
Topical Outline
- 1. Biosafety & lab safety
- 2. PCR setup
- 3. Gel electrophoresis
- 4. Bacterial identification
- 5. Antibiotic susceptibility
- 6. Virology lab 1
- 7. Virology lab 2
- 8. Parasitology
- 9. Blood parasites
- 10. Innate immunity
- 11. Adaptive immunity
- 12. Vaccines
- 13. Outbreak case 1
- 14. Outbreak case 2
Institutional Competencies Learning Outcomes
Analytical Thinking
The ability to reason, interpret, analyze, and solve problems from a wide array of authentic contexts.
