Bacteriology and Virology

The course “Bacteriology and Virology” is a core course in B.Sc. Microbiology under the Choice Based Credit System (CBCS) formulated by UGC. This course has 37 modules in all. The course has been drawn to provide the students the knowledge of bacterial and viral living systems are organized in their structural as well as in their functional aspects. Since these living entities cannot be seen with naked eyes, the knowledge of the important instrument called Microscope is very essential. As organized in the three domain system, prokaryotes include archaebacteria and eubacteria or bacteria. At one time it was thought that bacteria and other prokaryotes were essentially "bags of enzymes" with no inherent cellular architecture. The development of the electron microscope in the 1950s revealed the distinct anatomical features of bacteria and confirmed that they lacked a nuclear membrane. A prokaryotic cell has five essential structural components: a nucleoid (DNA), ribosomes, cell membrane, cell wall, and some sort of surface layer, which may or may not be an inherent part of the wall. Apart from general structure specialized cell structure including endospore, heterocysts and akinetes, conidia, spheroplast and protoplast. The endospores are made against harsh environmental situations. Antibiotics are the drugs which can be used to target towards the activities of bacterial structural components.On the other hand viruses are the microscopic entities which are not visible through light microscope. They can only be seen through electron microscope. Viruses are completely different from bacteria as they are living entities when they are present inside the living host cell which can be a plant, animal or a bacterial cell. The virus become non-living when they are present outside the host because they depend on the host for their replication and reproduction. For this they have been classified separately in a classification system and their structural components are also different from the bacteria. The methods of detection of virus includes a living host cell where it reproduces, whereas in case of bacteria it can be detected easily as it reproduces by its own. Though most of the viruses are harmful adenovirus is used in gene therapy.The course is divided into two units. The first unit includes the structural organization of Bacterial cell and its components, bacterial systematic, types of reproduction in bacteria, Bacteriological techniques, growth and nutrition, microscopy along with the practical demonstration of various staining techniques. The second unit will give the concept of viruses, their classification and morphology, bacteriophage and the assay methods to detect the viruses. The unit will also discuss the different types of viral diseases and the application of virology. This course is designed in such a way that students from any disciplines of biology will find the course content interesting and will get the satisfaction of learning the subjects of Bacteriology and Virology. After completion of the course, the students can automatically apply this knowledge in their fields of research and higher education.The 37 modules of this course will be delivered over a period of 12 weeks roughly covering the working days of a semester. Each week, 3/4 modules will be uploaded and each module has the following four quadrants:· A video lecture of roughly 25 - 30 minutes duration delivered by the faculty.· An in depth write up of the same topic· References for further study· MCQs for self-assessment,In order to assimilate the topic in a perfect manner, the student is expected to devote two hours and will adhere to the submission deadline of the assignment provided by the faculty.Thus like all other MOOCs, this particular MOOC is a self-learning module and the students are expected to devote 10 hours approximately per week, which will include thorough understanding of the modules in the course, participation in the discussion with the subject expert and also going through the list of papers and other references.Course Objectives:The objectives of this course are to acquaint students with:the structural organization of Bacterial cell and its componentthe development of bacterial phylogeny and systematics.the various Bacteriological techniquesBacterial growth kinetics and nutrition along with the types of reproduction in bacteria.the microscopic techniques and principles along with the practical demonstration of various staining techniquesthe concept of viruses, their classification and morphology,the bacteriophage and the assay methods to detect the viruses.The different types of viral diseases and the application of virology.This course will enable them to apply the acquired knowledge in the fields of other biological science.It will enable them to write a review on allied field and that may be suitable for publication.Course Coordinator Name:Dr. Madhumita MaitraAssistant ProfessorSt. Xavier's College (Autonomous), KolkataProducer:Moasunep Kichu