Aims
This course aims to:
- Develop a good understanding of the microbial world with a special focus on bacteria.
- Break preconceptions about bacteria in light of new discoveries.
- Develop a good understanding of the importance and scale of the antimicrobial resistance crisis.
Content
In this course, we’ll be looking at what microbes are (with shameless focus on bacteria), where they live, and how to harness their potential as biotechnological powerhouses. We’ll also look at how they cause disease, and what we can do about this.
Specific topics to be covered will include;
- The microbial world and its diversity.
- An introduction to pathogens: the main types of pathogens, how do pathogens make us sick? Transmission and prevention.
- How do we combat infectious diseases? Our immune response, treatments (antibiotics, antivirals etc), vaccines (using Covid19 as an example).
- Antimicrobial resistance (AMR): why is it happening? What is the scale of the problem? Are we really heading back to ‘the Dark Ages’? Efforts to tackle the rise in AMR.
- Biofilms and their role in infectious diseases: what are biofilms? How do they contribute to AMR? Importance of biofilms (clinical, industrial etc), examples of biofilm-associated diseases.
- An overview of a range of important pathogens and their role in infectious diseases: E. coli & urinary tract infections, P. aeruginosa & lung infections, MRSA & wound infections.
- The human microbiome and its impact on you.
- What bugs can tell us about life?
Presentation of the course
This is a lecture-based course (we hope to return to the lab in the coming years), but your distinctly energetic lecturer will do his best to engage with you as an audience and grease the cogwheels of the mind.
Class sessions
- An introduction to pathogens: The main four types of pathogens (bacteria, viruses, fungi and protists).
- How do pathogens make us sick?
- Transmission and prevention of infectious diseases.
- How do we combat pathogenic diseases? Our immune response.
- Treatments (antibiotics, antivirals...etc) & Vaccines (using Covid19 as an example).
- Antimicrobial resistance (AMR): What is AMR and why is it happening?
- The scale of the problem (multiple aspects: health, economy, policy etc) and efforts to tackle the rise in AMR.
- Biofilms and their role in infectious diseases: What are biofilms? How do they contribute to AMR?
- Importance of biofilms (clinical, industrial etc) & examples of biofilm-associated diseases.
- An overview of a range of important pathogens and their role in infectious diseases: E. coli & urinary tract infections, P. aeruginosa & lung infections, MRSA & wound infections.
Learning outcomes
The learning outcomes for this course are:
- To learn about what bacteria are, and how they contribute to our planet.
- To understand how bacteria cause disease and how to combat this.
- To learn about antimicrobial resistance and the scale of the problem.
- To understand what biofilms are and how they impact multiple aspects of our lives.
- To learn about a range of important bacterial infections.
Typical week: Monday to Friday
Courses run from Monday to Friday. For each week of study, you select a morning (Am) course and an afternoon (Pm) course. The maximum class size is 25 students.
Courses are complemented by a series of daily plenary lectures, exploring new ideas in a wide range of disciplines. To add to the learning experience, we are also planning additional evening talks and events.
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c.7.30am-9.00am
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Breakfast in College (for residents)
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9.00am-10.30am
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Am Course
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11.00am-12.15pm
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Plenary Lecture
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12.15pm-1.30pm
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Lunch
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1.30pm-3.00pm
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Pm Course
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3.30pm-4.45pm
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Plenary Lecture/Free
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6.00pm/6.15pm-7.15pm
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Dinner in College (for residents)
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7.30pm onwards
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Evening talk/Event/Free
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Evaluation and Academic Credit
If you are seeking to enhance your own study experience, or earn academic credit from your Cambridge Summer Programme studies at your home institution, you can submit written work for assessment for one or more of your courses.
Essay questions are set and assessed against the University of Cambridge standard by your Course Director, a list of essay questions can be found in the Course Materials. Essays are submitted two weeks after the end of each course, so those studying for multiple weeks need to plan their time accordingly. There is an evaluation fee of £75 per essay.
For more information about writing essays see Evaluation and Academic Credit.
Certificate of attendance
A certificate of attendance will be sent to you electronically after the programme.
