Virology

CLASS OVERVIEW

The course is essential for biotechnology students as viruses play significant roles in biotechnological research, vaccine development, and disease diagnostics. Understanding virology provides insights into viral structure, replication mechanisms, and host interactions, which are critical for designing antiviral therapies and engineering viral vectors for gene delivery. 

What will you learn after taking this course?

• Provide basic knowledge on diverse viruses, their classification, and host ranges

• Explain viral replication strategies, including the process of entry, mechanism of genome replication, virion assembly and egress from the cell.

• Define the process of virus latency and the process and activation of viral genomes during reactivation.

• Provide knowledge on mechanism of effect of plant, animal and bacterial viruses on their host cells.

• Describe principles of viral pathogenesis. 

• Explain the isolation detection and culture of virus from different sources as well as counting. 

Evaluation system

Class attendence: 8%; Class performance: Class tests, Two class tests and one presentation: 20%; Final Exam: 72%.