Department of Biology & Biochemistry, Unit Catalogue 2011/12 |
|
 Credits:
| 6 |
| Level:
| Masters UG & PG (FHEQ level 7) |
| Period: |
Semester 2 |
| Assessment:
| CW 10%, EX 50%, SM 40% |
| Supplementary Assessment: | Like-for-like reassessment (where allowed by programme regulations) |
| Requisites:
| Before taking this unit you must take BB20040 (or equivalent units authorised by the Director of Studies). |
| Description:
| Aims: To provide the students with an holistic understanding of the causes and consequences of microbial evolution, by consideration of both experimental and wild populations. Learning Outcomes: After taking this course the student should be able to: * explain basic population genetics principles and phylogenetic methods with respect to bacteria; * explain the major mechanisms of bacterial molecular evolution; in particular the significance of mobile genetic elements and horizontal gene transfer; * explain the rationale and applications of microbial experimental evolution; * describe the insights provided by microbial studies into the ecological and genetic causes of evolution; * integrate methodology and data from epidemiological case studies with theory and experimental data. Skills: Learning and studying T/F/A, Written communication T/F/A, Oral communication T/F/A, Information handling & retrieval T/F/A, Working independently T/F. Content: The main forces shaping bacterial populations, the different kinds of selection pressures, mutation and stochastic forces. The consequences of evolutionary forces over different time scales, from intra-species variation (micro-evolution), to the differences between unrelated species (macro-evolution), and the relevance to the management and epidemiological surveillance of important human pathogens. The relationships between ecology, evolution and epidemiology. Design and analysis of laboratory selection experiments. Theory and data explaining the evolution and maintenance of diversity, the evolution of evolvability, the evolution of altruism, the evolution of virulence and host-parasite coevolution. |
| Programme availability: |
BB40117 is Optional on the following programmes:Department of Biology & Biochemistry
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