SCIENCES OF CLINICAL MICROBIOLOGY

Integrated educational activity

Course Sheet

Course code:

TLB21B33

Academic Year of enrolment:

2020

Year of supply:

2021/2022

Degree:

Course of 1st Cycle Degree in BIOMEDICAL LABORATORY TECHNIQUES

Moduls:

PARASITOLOGY - 1 credits
DIAGNOSTIC TECHNIQUES OF BACTERIOLOGY AND MOLECULAR VIROLOGY - 1 credits
CLINICAL MICROBIOLOGY - 3 credits
MICROBIOLOGY AND ITS SPECIAL TECHNIQUES - 4 credits

Location:

CHIETI

Credits:

Programme Year:

Cycle:

First semester

Hours of classroom activity:

Prerequisites:

Those listed in the didactics regulation.

Objectives

At the end of this course students should be able to:
- describe the structure and function of microorganisms;
- describe the mechanisms of infectious disease transmission and pathogenicity;
- compare and contrast different microbial diseases, including the properties of different types of pathogens, and the mechanisms of pathogenesis;
- describe in detail those classes of microorganisms of specific relevance to the common diseases.
- describe the different conventional and molecular techniques in diagnostic microbiology.

Contents

The course provides learning in the basic principles of medical microbiology and infectious disease. It covers mechanisms of infectious disease transmission, principles of aseptic practice, and the role of the human body’s normal microbiota. The biology of bacterial, viral, fungal, protozoan and metazoan parasites pathogens and the diseases they cause are covered. The course provides the conceptual basis for understanding pathogenic microorganisms and the mechanisms by which they cause disease in the human body. In particular, classes of microorganisms of specific relevance to the common diseases will be discussed in detail. The subject also describes the several conventional and molecular techniques for identification of microorganisms in clinical laboratory.

Extended Syllabus

MODULE: GENERAL AND CLINICAL MICROBIOLOGY
Evolution of microorganisms and their classification.
The structure and function of the components of the Gram-positive bacteria wall: cytoplasmic membrane,
peptidoglycan, theichoic acids, polysaccharides, proteins.
The structure and function of Gram-negative bacteria wall components: cytoplasmic membrane,
peptidoglycan, periplasmic space, outer membrane, lipoproteins, lipopolysaccharides (LPS).
Simple and differential stains in bacteriology.
The structure and function of the optional components of the bacterial cell: capsule, flagella,
fimbriae.
The bacterial spore: structure, sporogenesis, germination, significance. Metabolism and bacterial nutrition: nutritional principles; trophic types; energy production; bacteria
and oxygen; aerobic breathing; anaerobic breathing; fermentation; the microbial habitat; relationship
between environmental conditions and bacterial metabolism.
The cultivation of bacteria: the culture media; isolation methods in pure culture; biochemical,
serological and typing identifications.
Bacterial growth at cellular and population level (growth curve).
The pathogenic action of bacteria: the mechanisms to overcome non- specific barriers and to circumvent
specific defenses. Bacterial toxins.
Control of microbial growth: mechanism of the antimicrobial action of temperature, radiation, ultrasound (sterilization and tindalization); alcohols,
halogens, surfactants, phenols, aldehydes (disinfection).
Bacterial genetics: the plasticity of the bacterial genome (plasmids, insertion sequences, transposons, invertible elements, mutations); the intercellular transfer of genetic material (transformation, transduction, lysogenic conversion, bacterial conjugation).
Mechanisms of action of antibiotics and chemotherapeutics.
Mechanisms of antibiotic-resistance carried out by bacteria.
Methods of assessment of the sensitivity of bacteria to chemo- antibiotics (antibiotic susceptibility
assays, MIC and MBC). Prevention of infectious diseases: vaccines. General features of fungi. Control of fungal infection: antifungal drugs.

MODULE: SPECIAL MICROBIOLOGY AND RELATED TECHNIQUES
Classification of microorganisms.
Pathogenesis, Lab diagnosis, Treatment, Prevention and Control of the bacterial human pathogens. Gram-positive cocci: Staphylococci, Streptococci. Gram-negative cocci: Neisseria. Gram-positive rods:
Mycobacterium,
monocytogenes.
Enterobacteriaceae,
Pseudomonadaceae, Campylobacter, Helicobacter, Bordetella, Brucella. Spore-forming Gram-positive bacilli: Clostridium and Bacillus. Spirochaetes, Mycoplasma, Legionella pneumoniae, Rickettsie, Chlamydiae.
Pathogenesis, Lab diagnosis, Treatment, Prevention and Control of the viral human pathogens. Characteristics and classification of viruses. Virus structure: non- enveloped and enveloped viruses. Viral replication: life cycle of viruses with animal and prokaryote hosts. Mechanisms of viral pathogenesis. Antiviral drugs.
RNA viruses: Orthomyxovirus, Rotavirus, Filovirus, Retrovirus, Togaviridae, Paramyxoviridae, Flaviviridae, Picornavirus, Delta virus. DNA viruses: Poxvirus, Herpesvirus, Hepadnavirus, Papillomavirus.
Prions. Hospital-acquired infections.

MODULE: MOLECULAR DIAGNOSTIC TECHNIQUES IN MICROBIOLOGY
Selection, collection procedure, storage, transport and processing of clinical specimens.
Bacterial identification: conventional and molecular methods.
Direct examination and techniques: microscopy, stains and type of culture media.
Identification: manual and automated techniques for identification, antigen detection assays, molecular techniques.
Indirect serodiagnosis assay.
Antimicrobial Susceptibility: to determine susceptibility or resistance to antimicrobial agents.
Identification of viruses.
Electron microscope
Isolation and culture of viruses. molecular techniques.
Serodiagnosis: direct and indirect assays.
Biosafety in Clinical Microbiological Laboratory.

MODULE: PARASITOLOGY
- Introduction to parasitology: main classes of parasitics.
- Protozoans: Phylum Sarcomastigofora
Subphylum Sarcodina: Entamoeba, Acanthamoeba
Subphylum Mastigophora: Giardia, Trichomonas, Trypanosoma, Leishmania.
Phylum : Apicomplexa: Class: Sporozoa. Subclass Coccidia: Plasmodium, Toxoplasma.
- Metazoans: Plathelminthes: Cestodes, family Taeniidae.
Nemathelminthes: Nematodes, Enterobius, Strongyloides, Filaria.
- Laboratory diagnosis.
- Exercises and microscopy.

Recommended Bibliography

Murray PR, Rosenthal KS, Pfaller MA: Microbiologia Medica 9a Ed. Edra, 2021.
Antonelli, Clementi, Pozzi, Rossolini: Principi di Microbiologia Medica, 3a Ed., 2017.
De Carneri: Parassitologia Medica e Diagnostica Parassitologica. CEA Ed.

Teaching Methods

Frontal lectures and material provided by teachers.

Evaluation methods

Verification of learning:

The exam method is an oral test designed to verify the results of the expected learning, in accordance with the educational and specific objectives of the course. The oral examination is placed at the end of the course, after having achieved the attendance to the same, according to a schedule established and published on the University web page at the beginning of the academic year. The outcome of the test is evaluated as the result of learning the specific and training objectives, such as knowledge and understanding, capacity for logical integration and application. At the end of the test the teacher will form an opinion expressed in terms of Italian grades and their correspondent European Credit Transfer System grade (In Italian Universities grades are given on the basis of 30 points).
1) Rating 30 - 30 cum laude (corresponding to ECTS grade A): Excellent knowledge and understanding of the subjects, ability to reason and logical integration of the acquired knowledge. If the student, who has achieved this evaluation, demonstrates autonomy of judgment, high communication skills and autonomous learning skills, a laude can be added by the commision. 2) Rating 27 - 29 (corresponding to ECTS grade B): Good knowledge and understanding of the topics with some non-serious inaccuracies and with a good capacity for logical integration and judgment.
3) Rating: 23 - 26 (corresponding to ECTS grade C): Discrete knowledge and understanding of the topics and, despite some gaps in the ability to integrate and apply knowledge.
4) Rating 20 - 22 (corresponding to ECTS grade D): Knowledge and understanding of the arguments fully sufficient, although there are clear gaps, which are reflected in a reduced capacity for integration, logic and application.
5) Rating 18 - 19 (corresponding to ECTS grade E): Knowledge and understanding of the topics with serious and evident gaps, with limited integrative and applicative skills, but which also allow the passing of the exam.

N.B. For Integrated Courses (exams covering more than one module or course unit) a single exam will be held and a final grade given.

Contacts/More Information

Student reception.

Prof. Nerino Allocati
In-Person office hours: Monday – Friday from 10:00 to 13:00.
By appointment: phone 0871.3554807; email: nerino.allocati@unich.it.

Prof. Giovanni Di Bonaventura
By appointment to be fixed by phone or email.
1) "U.O. Microbiologia e Microbiologia Clinica" c/o Centro Studi e Tecnologie Avanzate (CAST); Phone 0871.541509
2) Sezione di "Microbiologia e Microbiologia Clinica", c/o Nuovo Polo di Farmacia (corpo D, III livello); Phone 0871.3554812
E-mail gdibonaventura@unich.it.

Dr. Alessandra Gambi
By appointment: email: a.gambi.67@gmail.com.

Università degli Studi
"G. d'Annunzio"

Chieti - Pescara

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