BSc Molecular Biology with Industrial/Professional Experience

Year of entry: 2024

Course unit details:
Immune Response & Disease (E)

Course unit fact file
Unit code BIOL31802
Credit rating 10
Unit level Level 3
Teaching period(s) Semester 2
Available as a free choice unit? No

Overview

This Unit builds on the compulsory pre-requisite Advanced Immunology Unit (BIOL31371). Having learnt about how the immune system functions to sense and mount appropriate protective responses to different challenges in a manner so as to protect and maintain a healthy body last semester, you will now look at ways in which this normal function of the immune system can go wrong, why this results in disease, and how knowledge of normal and disease mechanisms can be used to inform corrective intervention. The Unit is organised as themed weeks, with each week dedicated to a different disease situation resulting from the actions of inappropriate immunity or immune dysfunction.

 

Pre/co-requisites

Unit title Unit code Requirement type Description
Immunology BIOL21242 Pre-Requisite Compulsory
Advanced Immunology (E) BIOL31371 Co-Requisite Compulsory
BIOL21242 is a Pre-requisite of BIOL31802 BIOL31371 is a Co-requisite of BIOL31802

Aims


• To use knowledge of normal protective immune function to explain processes of disease in named situations involving inappropriate or dysfunctional immunity.
• To apply knowledge of the process of disease to explain current approaches to clinical intervention in the examples of immune-related disease being considered.
• To consider examples of contemporary experimental approaches aiming to manipulate the immune system in the context of immune related disease for improved therapeutic intervention in the future.

 

 

Learning outcomes

By the end of this Unit you should be able to;
• use your understanding of normal immune function to explain mechanisms of disease in named situations of inappropriate immunity or immune dysfunction studied in the Unit
• critically evaluate the rationale for current therapeutic intervention in relation to knowledge of immune dysfunction in such situations
• discuss, using examples, how knowledge of disease mechanism is informing experimental approaches to improved therapeutic intervention in the future.
 

Syllabus

Diseases forming themes in the Unit in recent years were allergy, autoimmunity, immune dysregulation in the brain, primary immune deficiency, transplantation, cancer and inflammatory bowel disease. Themes are reviewed regularly to ensure they are reflective of current trends in the field. For each themed week, there are three elements, during which understanding of the underlying mechanism resulting in disease will be established and related both to the basis of current clinical interventions and to examples of how knowledge of normal and perturbed immune function is informing current experimental approaches investigating improved methods of therapeutic intervention in the future.

Employability skills

Group/team working
Group collaboration through discussion on the online community learning forum.
Research
Engaging with primary literature; analysing and discussing scientific concepts.
Written communication
Discussion on the online community learning forum; essay-based summative exam.

Assessment methods

Method Weight
Written exam 100%

Written exam
Two essays (All questions worth the same marks; questions will be organised in two sections; 3 questions per section; one question to be answered from each section.)

Feedback methods

• Online ’Community Learning Forum’, incorporating anonymous submission and discussion, and regular monitored by staff up to the Unit exam.
• Post-exam self-reflection on examiner marking comments.
 

Recommended reading

Recommended: Janeway’s Immunobiology, 10th Edition (2022), written by Murphy and Weaver (Garland Scientific).
Optional: Kuby Immunology (8th edition, 2018), written by Stranford, Owen, Jones and Punt (MacMillan Education),
Optional: The Immune System (4th edition, 2015), written by Peter Parham (Garland Science).
Recommended: Roitt’s Essential Immunology (13th edition, 2017), written by Delves, Martin, Burton and Roitt (Wiley-Blackwell). Available as an ebook through the University of Manchester library;
Immunology is a fast moving field. Further reviews, original articles and websites will be provided in lectures.
 

 

 

 

Study hours

Scheduled activity hours
Assessment written exam 2.7
Lectures 18
Independent study hours
Independent study 79.3

Teaching staff

Staff member Role
Kathleen Nolan Unit coordinator

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