General Microbiology

Duration

16h Th, 10h Pr

Number of credits

Lecturer

Marie-Pierre Hayette, Pierrette Melin

Coordinator

Pierrette Melin

Language(s) of instruction

French language

Organisation and examination

Teaching in the first semester, review in January

Units courses prerequisite and corequisite

Prerequisite or corequisite units are presented within each program

Learning unit contents

Contents

• Introduction (P. Melin)
• Historical milestones (P. Melin)
• The microbial world (P. Melin)
• Bacteria, procaryotic cells (P. Melin)
• Beneficial aspects of microbes (P. Melin)
• Concepts of microbial diseases (P. Melin)
• Control of microbial diseases: prevention and therapeutic approach (P. Melin)
• Fungi (MP. Hayette)
• Parasites (MP. Hayette)

Learning outcomes of the learning unit

At the end of the course, the student will be able to:

• identify the main microbial challenges on the earth
• describe the importance of mortality associated to infectious diseases and the evolution/emergence of infectious diseases
• summarize a few important milestones in the microbial history
• describe the different groups of microorganisms and their characteristics
• explain the important role and characteristics of biofilms
• describe the main points of bacterial genetics and genome plasticity
• report the principles of beneficials aspects of microbes
• summarize the different symbiotic and pathogenic  relationships between microorganisms and human beings.
• list the main bacterial virulence factors
• describe the different modes of transmission of microbes to or between human beings
• understand and summarize human defenses against microbial attack and prevention strategies (food security, access to drinking water, vaccines, sterilization - disinfection, antibiotics).
• list the main groups of antibiotics, mode of action and resistance mechanisms
• describe the principles of the main microbial methods used for clinical diagnostics

Prerequisite knowledge and skills

Prerequisite or corequisite units are presented within each program.

Planned learning activities and teaching methods

The course is taught as lectures, supported by PowerPoint-type slides.
Students are invited to ask their questions after the lecture or by email.
Practical work sessions are compulsory.  They illustrate the theoretical course.  Biosecurity and hand hygiene are introduced at the first session.

Mode of delivery (face-to-face ; distance-learning)

Face-to-face lectures and practical works at the bench Contribution of 2 persons for lectures:

• Prof. P.Melin
• Prof.MP. Hayette

Recommended or required readings

Sets of slides of lectures as well as syllabus of pratical works, posted on the ULg website, which can be downloaded by the concerned students, are compulsory.
The following books are good references related to the course:

• MEDICAL MICROBIOLOGY, Mims C. et al, 5th Ed.,2012, Elsevier
• INTRODUCION A LA MICROBIOLOGIE, Tortora G.J. et al, 2nd Ed., 2012, ERPI, Editions du Renouveau Pédagogique Inc.
• BROCK BIOLOGY OF MICROORGANISMS, MT Madigan et al, 14th Ed, 2014,Pearson
• THE MICROBIAL CHALLENGE, Krasner R., 2002, Ed. ASM PRESS
• MICROBIOLOGIE, Prescott, Willey JM et al, Traduction de la 8ème Ed,2013, Ed.De Boeck Université

Assessment methods and criteria

Written examinations for the theorical (January / September) (multiple choice questions, open questions with short answers).
Written evaluation (multiple choice questions +/- open questions with short answers) for the practical works, organized after the last session of each group.  The evaluation is included for 10% in the notes obtained in January.
 

Work placement(s)

Some students from masters (1-4) may be selected to become "tutors" for other students attending the practical courses of general and medical microbiology. Conditions : good results at the examinations of Microbiology (theory and practical lessons); good global results ; motivation.

Organizational remarks

For practical works session

• the coordinator is Julie Descy, pharmacist, specialist in clinical biology and microbiology, university hospital of Liege
• Attendance is compulsory
• Access is restricted only to students wearing a labcoat.

Contacts

Clinical microbiology Department University Hospital of Liège, B-23 Sart Tilman, 4000 LIEGE Belgium
Secretary For a contact or to fix an appointment, contact the secretary Mrs MC. Lhôte

• Phone : 00.32.4.366.24.39
• Telecopy: 00.32.4.366.24.40
• Email: micromed@ulg.ac.be

• Pierrette.Melin@ulg.ac.be

• mphayette@ulg.ac.be(mphayette@chu.ulg.ac.be )

• julie.descy@chu.ulg.ac.be

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