Department of Biology & Biochemistry, Unit Catalogue 2009/10 |
BB30059: Insect-microbe interactions |
 Credits:
| 6 |
| Level:
| Honours |
| Period: | Semester 1 |
| Assessment:
| ES 20%, EX 80% |
| Supplementary Assessment: | Like-for-like reassessment (where allowed by programme regulations) |
| Requisites:
| Before taking this unit you must take BB20029 |
| Description: | Aims: To provide an insight into the nature of symbioses between insects and their microbial flora - from commensal through parasitic to mutualistic association; to provide an understanding of the nature of the diseases in insects caused by bacteria, fungi and viruses; to explore the basis of immunity and host defence against microbial pathogens; to demonstrate some of the complexity of the mutualistic associations that have evolved between insects and their flora. Learning Outcomes: After taking this course the student should be able to: * discuss the concepts of pathogenesis, virulence and specificity as they relate to microbial pathogens of insects; * compare and contrast the strategies used by different types of microbial pathogen of insects; * define the strengths and weaknesses of insect immune systems; * compare and contrast insect and vertebrate immune systems; * define criteria for establishing a mutualistic role for a micro-organism. Skills: Learning and studying T/F/A, Written communication T/F/A, Information handling & retrieval T/F/A, Working independently T/F. Content: Concepts of symbiosis; ice nucleating agents and insect cold hardiness; mechanisms of fungal pathogenesis in insects - host recognition, host invasion, role of toxins, molecular approaches to the study of virulence; entomopathogenic bacteria; endotoxins from Bacillus thuringiensis and B. sphaericus; entomopathogenic viruses - overview, baculoviruses, polyDNA viruses, host immunity - cuticle and gut barriers, cellular defence, humoral defence, immune proteins, comparison with vertebrate systems; mutualism - exogenous mutualists, cellulose digestion, intracellular mutualists. |