NBIK26002U Virus, Microbe and Host

Volume 2026/2027
Education

MSc Programme in Biochemistry
MSc Programme in Biology
MSc Programme in Biology with a minor subject
MSc Programme in Molecular Biomedicine

Content

Virus, Microbe and Host is a thematic course on the biology of viruses and their interactions with prokaryotic and eukaryotic hosts. Through three interconnected themes - Viruses of Bacteria and Archaea, Prokaryotic Roots of Human Viruses and Immunity, and Narratives in Medical Microbiology - students will explore virus–host relationships from molecular mechanisms to evolutionary and clinical perspectives.

Students begin with prokaryotic viruses, examining their biology, ecological importance, and roles in biotechnology, along with the microbial defense and counter defense systems shaped by viral–host arms races.

The second theme explores how viruses and cellular life co-evolved and how this deep history explains evolutionary and mechanistic links between microbial antiviral defense and human immunity, and how such evolutionary knowledge aligns with the use of bacterial viruses as vaccine platforms.

The final theme connects these principles to medically relevant microbes and viruses. Students will become familiar with selected bacterial and viral pathogens, the role of phages in bacterial virulence, the impact of microbiomes and viromes on disease, pandemic dynamics, and the use of bacteria to interfere with transmission of vector borne diseases. Throughout, evolutionary and applied perspectives serve as unifying threads.

Learning Outcome

Knowledge

After completing the course, students will be able to:

  • Describe viruses infecting bacteria and archaea, including their life cycles and ecological roles.
  • Explain major microbial antiviral defenses and viral counter strategies such as CRISPR-Cas and anti-CRISPRs.
  • Summarize key theories on the origins of viruses and early cellular evolution, and outline how immune systems evolved from prokaryotic to eukaryotic defenses.
  • Describe the biology, epidemiology, and host interactions of selected human bacterial and viral pathogens.
  • Explain how phages influence bacterial virulence and other microbial traits.
  • Discuss how microbiomes and viromes shape disease and the spread of vector born diseases

 

Skills

Students will be able to:

  • Read, interpret, and critically evaluate primary literature in virology and microbiology.
  • Present scientific papers and engage in structured discussions of experimental design, methodology, and data interpretation.
  • Apply foundational knowledge to analyze case studies involving viral ecology, microbial defense, pathogenicity, and pandemic dynamics.
  • Use problem-based exercises to explore the ecological, evolutionary, and medical implications of virus–host interactions.
  • Integrate insights from molecular biology, epidemiology, and evolutionary biology to explain complex biological phenomena.

 

Competences

Students will be able to:

  • Combine theoretical, experimental, and evolutionary perspectives to analyze virus–microbe–host systems.
  • Argue for or against hypotheses using evidence from primary research.
  • Collaborate in groups to solve conceptual and applied problems in virology and microbiology.
  • Communicate scientific reasoning clearly in oral presentations and written work.
  • Reflect on the broader biological, technological, and clinical relevance of viruses in microbial and human contexts.

See Absalon.

Introductory course in molecular biology or microbiology is recommended
Teaching consists of a combination of lectures, student led discussion classes, and problem-based exercises. Lectures introduce key concepts and provide the theoretical foundation for each topic. In the discussion classes, student groups present selected primary research articles and engage in structured dialogue. Problem based sessions give students hands on experience with selected topics.
Multiple sessions are dedicated to thematic recaps, where quizzes and integrative discussions help consolidate learning and connect topics across the course. Student groups will lead these sessions.
The course is taught by multiple researchers with complementary expertise, ensuring students encounter diverse approaches within microbiology, molecular biology, evolutionary biology, and medical microbiology.
  • Category
  • Hours
  • Lectures
  • 22
  • Preparation
  • 140
  • Seminar
  • 42
  • Exam
  • 2
  • Total
  • 206
Oral
Individual
Collective
Continuous feedback during the course of the semester
Credit
7,5 ECTS
Type of assessment
On-site written exam, 2 timer under invigilation
Type of assessment details
On-site written exam, 2 hours under invigilation. The exam consists of a multiple-choice/​multiple-answer component and an assay component.
Examination prerequisites

To participate in the final exam, students must have either presented a scientific paper or led a discussion based on a topic‑specific quiz.

Aid
No aids allowed
Marking scale
7-point grading scale
Censorship form
External censorship
Re-exam

Oral examination, 20 minutes, no preparation time

Criteria for exam assesment

In order to obtain the grade 12 the student should convincingly and accurately demonstrate the knowledge, skill and competences described under learning outcome.