Superbugs: Genetic Adaptation and Evolution of Clinical Pathogens (U04300)

? Credit Points : 10 ? SCQF Level : 10 ? Acronym : BMS-4-ID_SupBug

An introduction into the genetic mechanisms bacteria acquire to become superbugs when faced with environmental stress or antibiotic challenge

Entry Requirements

? This course is not available to visting students.

? Pre-requisites : Permission of the Curriculum Approval Officer

Subject Areas

Home subject area

Infectious Diseases (Biomedical Sciences), (School of Biomedical Sciences, Schedule T)

Other subject areas

Infectious Diseases (Biological Sciences), (School of Biological Sciences, Schedule K)

Delivery Information

? Normal year taken : 4th year

? Delivery Period : Semester 2 (Blocks 3-4)

? Contact Teaching Time : 2 hour(s) 45 minutes per week for 6 weeks

First Class Information

Date	Start	End	Room	Area	Additional Information
12/01/2009	09:00	12:00			Biomedical Tutorial Room 1, Teviot Place

All of the following classes

Type	Day	Start	End	Area
Lecture	Monday	09:00	13:00	Central
Lecture	Thursday	09:00	13:00	Central

? Additional Class Information : Course will make extensive use of WebCT.

Course Leader: Dr. Thamarai Schneiders (Thamarai.schneiders@ed.ac.uk)

Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes

- Understanding the basic principles that underlie the success of clinical pathogens (with a particular emphasis on Ps. aeruginosa and S.aureus) that become super bugs in the hospital setting.
- Understanding the factors that select the emergence of these superbugs in the clinical setting.
- Understanding the inherited versus non-inherited nature of adaptive mutations.
- Understand the challenges presented by the emergence of adaptive mutants and their ability to survive within the different ecological niches i.e. hospital or environment