AFNS 511: Veterinary Immunology (Winter 2010)
Instructor:
Dr. Daniel Barreda 2-58A Agriculture/Forestry Centre email: [email protected] ph: 492-0375 Time: Tuesday and Thursday 9:30 am - 10:50 am
Class Location: GSB 511
Textbook / Additional Reading: No textbook required
Supplementary course material will be provided in class in the form of research papers and/or reports pertinent to the lecture material.
Overview: This Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Science (AFNS) course will cover selected topics in immunology, with particular emphasis on application of immunological principles to the understanding of animal health and disease. Further, students will examine the short and long-term impact of pathogenesis to the health of animals, their caretakers, and consumers. Students will learn how to apply a broad understanding of host- pathogen interactions and the basic mechanisms of disease progression to the understanding of the literature, assessment of its contributions, and implementation of these contributions to current practices. This critical thinking process will be an important asset to students who want to pursue careers in animal health-related fields.
Lectures will be followed by active discussions of selected readings pertaining to current developments in the subject area. It is assumed that students will have a basic understanding of animal physiology, microbiology, and biochemistry.
Layout: Lectures presented by the instructor will be given every Thursday as outlined in the schedule. Where possible, each topic will be addressed using the following breakdown:
1) Immune concepts
2) Relevance to animal health and disease
3) Perspectives from the animal host and the pathogen
4) Links to applied research (e.g. industry) and/or policy (e.g. government priority areas).
Following the lecture one or two selected papers / reports will be assigned, which will be the focus of the discussion during the Tuesday class. The purpose of the discussion is to provide added insights and examples that further support the concepts presented in lecture, integrate concepts across course focus areas, and link them to current issues in animal health.
It is expected that students will have read the papers prior to the Tuesday class and will be active participants in the discussion. Every student should be prepared to answer questions such as: “how does this paper add to your understanding of animal immunity in the context of everything else that you have learned in the course?” The format for each discussion will be covered on the Thursday prior to the discussion period.
Each student will be expected to do serve as a primary participant in two discussions. Sufficient time will be allocated to foster participation of all students. Depending on class size and time availability there may be an opportunity for additional presentations by students that would like to do so. A computer and projector will be provided if needed. If a student needs to miss a class they are expected to make an extra effort to participate in subsequent classes.
Grading: 5% Presentation #1 10% Presentation #2
15% Written assignment (due electronically by 4:00 pm, March 5th) 10% Class participation (lectures + discussions)
30 % Midterm exam (March 2nd) – no deferrals 30 % Final exam (April 19th) – cumulative
Throughout the term, raw marks will be used as indicators of each student’s performance. Letter grades will be assigned at the end of the course.
Written assignment: Each student in AFNS 511 will complete a written assignment that will build on concepts derived from class and the strategies discussed on “Effective proposal objectives” on February 23rd. The overall goal is to integrate concepts learned from class and apply them to a real-world scenario through the preparation of a short proposal. Each aim (2-3 total) in the proposal should include the following sub-sections: background, rationale, brief research plan, anticipated results, and potential pitfalls. Additional details will be discussed in class.
Format: 3-4 pages single-spaced – focus is on quality rather than quantity Font: Times New Roman, size: 11 pt
Margins: One inch throughout the document
Exams: Each exam will focus on the material covered in the lectures and readings for the appropriate section of the course. The final exam will be cumulative because information from previous sections will be required to give a complete answer to the questions in this exam. However, the primary focus of the final exam will be on the sections covered following the midterm exam.
No electronic devices, including calculators, will be permitted during exams. Students are expected to have basic proficiency in mathematics as per the University of Alberta B.Sc. degree requirements. On exam days each student will only bring a pencil/pen/eraser into the room. Answer sheets and blank paper will be provided as needed.
There will be no deferrals for the Midterm examination. Instead, its weight will be transferred to the final examination; thus, the final exam will account for 60% of the course mark. Deferred final exams will be oral exams.
Questions regarding exam grading will only be considered within one week from the time exams are returned. If a request is made to regrade an exam, the entire exam will be regraded including the point of debate. All inquiries must consist of a statement of why the regrade is requested and a complete argument including citations. All regrade requests must be typed and signed by the student and attached to the original copy of the exam. Correct answers will be marked on each exam.
Academic Integrity: All relevant University policies regarding Academic Integrity must be followed. This includes no cheating, no plagiarism and reporting any knowledge thereof. Please consult the Code of Student behavior (http://www.uofaweb.ualberta.ca/gfcpolicymanual/content.cfm?ID_page=37633)
Feedback: Throughout the term, students are encouraged to provide the instructor with feedback aimed at improving the course. Scheduled feedback sessions will also take place on at the February 25th and April 1st.
AFNS 511 Winter 2010 SCHEDULE
JanuaryTuesday 5th Introduction and Syllabus
Thursday 7th Lecture 1 Basic concepts in animal immunity
Tuesday 12th Discussion 1 Basic review of primary scientific manuscripts
Thursday 14th Lecture 2 Innate immunity at the front line of animal host defense Tuesday 19th Discussion 2 Manuscript review #1
Thursday 21st Lecture 3 Antibodies as mediators of animal health and disease Tuesday 26th Discussion 3 Manuscript review #2
Thursday 28th Lecture 4 Production of cellular effectors of animal immunity February
Tuesday 2nd Case study 4 Microbial effect on animal immune system development Thursday 4th Lecture 5 Inflammation in disease control and progression
Tuesday 9th Discussion 5 Mock debate:
Inflammation as a double-edge sword Thursday 11th Lecture 6 Immune-based diagnostics and therapeutics Tuesday 16th Winter Term Reading Week - No Classes
Thursday 18th Winter Term Reading Week - No Classes
Tuesday 23rd Case study 6 Effective proposal objectives
Functional feeds as mediators of animal health Thursday 25th Mid-course review
March
Tuesday 2nd Midterm - Covers all material from Jan 5th to Feb 25th
Thursday 4th Lecture 7 Animal-parasite host:pathogen interactions Tuesday 9th Discussion 7 Manuscript review #3
Thursday 11th Lecture 8 Animal bacterial diseases
Tuesday 16th Case study 8 Antibiotic resistance
Thursday 18th Lecture 9 Animal viral and prion diseases
Tuesday 23rd Case study 9 Environmental contribution to prion disease spread Thursday 25th Lecture 10 Emerging zoonotic diseases
Tuesday 30th Case study 10 Mock round-table panel discussion April
Thursday 1st Final course review
Monday 19th Cumulative final exam - Covers all material from Jan 5th to April 1st Time: 9:00 am; Room TBA