Overview

The module discusses the role of the Medical Microbiology Laboratory in infectious disease diagnosis. The topics of sterilisation, disinfection and aseptic technique will be examined and their role in establishing and maintaining a safe working environment. The concept of the Normal flora will be studied together with its role in disease and factors affecting microbial pathogenesis. Clinically significant micro-organisms involved in infectious disease of all major and minor organ systems will be addressed, together with the host's defense against infection and the increased susceptibility of the immune compromised host. The principles and mode of action of classes of chemotherapeutic agents, the efficacy of antibiotics in the host and techniques used to measure antibiotic susceptibility in vitro will be examined, including the problem of health care associated infections, antibiotic resistance and cross infection. The microbiology of food and water and the role of the environment in infectious diseases will be considered. Techniques used to detect and identify micro-organisms including microscopy, culture, serology, gene amplification and recent automated methods will be described. Case study scenarios will be followed up in a laboratory setting (either wet or dry) with students expected to identify given cultures of bacteria as far as possible and to build on their experiences from second year.

Learning Outcomes

• Acquire an understanding of the principles and wider applications of techniques used to detect and identify a variety of disease causing micro-organisms, including safety procedures.

• Critically discuss the pathogenicity and epidemiology of selected medically important micro-organisms including the resulting host reactions and selected treatments strategies.

• Critically evaluate the use of anti-microbial products in controlling micro-organisms and discuss the mechanisms of action and development of resistance.

• Demonstrate an ability to follow experimental procedures (SOPs) for the laboratory investigation of disease with interpretation and discussion in a written report