Microbiology
A.Y. 2024/2025
Learning objectives
The general objective of the course is to transmit to the students the basic knowledge related to microbes of medical interest so that they can use them in the approach to infections and diseases that they will encounter during their training and subsequently in their professional practice. In particular, the following summarized knowledge will be provided:
- Structural, molecular and replicative characteristics of the main viruses, bacteria, fungi and parasites, with particular regard to the factors that regulate their multiplication, and, where relevant, growth, metabolic activities and the possible production of virulence factors.
- Deepening of the concept of microbial evolution and evaluation of its impact in the prevalence changes of different infectious agents over time, in populations and in the various phases of life and setting of the human host (communities, communities, hospitals) ..
- Framework and classification of the transmission modalities of the various infectious agents and the possible different evolutions of the infections (latent, persistent and chronic) as well as their relationship with the tissue tropism and the pathogenetic mechanisms.
- Relationship between microorganisms and host in human infections and definition of disease determinants with particular attention to the role of microbial characteristics and host defense mechanisms.
- Framework and definition of the most important cultural, serological and molecular methodologies for laboratory diagnosis of infections.
- The course will include practical exercises through which students will participate in the cultivation, verification of growth and identification of the bacteria examined.
- Structural, molecular and replicative characteristics of the main viruses, bacteria, fungi and parasites, with particular regard to the factors that regulate their multiplication, and, where relevant, growth, metabolic activities and the possible production of virulence factors.
- Deepening of the concept of microbial evolution and evaluation of its impact in the prevalence changes of different infectious agents over time, in populations and in the various phases of life and setting of the human host (communities, communities, hospitals) ..
- Framework and classification of the transmission modalities of the various infectious agents and the possible different evolutions of the infections (latent, persistent and chronic) as well as their relationship with the tissue tropism and the pathogenetic mechanisms.
- Relationship between microorganisms and host in human infections and definition of disease determinants with particular attention to the role of microbial characteristics and host defense mechanisms.
- Framework and definition of the most important cultural, serological and molecular methodologies for laboratory diagnosis of infections.
- The course will include practical exercises through which students will participate in the cultivation, verification of growth and identification of the bacteria examined.
Expected learning outcomes
The knowledge acquired through the course of Microbiology will allow the students to have a clear idea of the characteristics of microbes, and in this way to be able to quickly frame the level of the potential risk of infection and / or disease for patients, to associate microorganisms based on shared characteristics and understanding their differences. This will allow them, for the infectious agents already known or for those that will be discovered in the years to come, to orient them in the complex path of proposing a diagnosis, choosing the methods to confirm it and to evaluate the meaning of the same.
Specifically, the main skills acquired by students at the end of the course are summarized below:
- ability to indicate for each of the microorganisms studied the position in the classification, the structure, the morphology, the genomic organization, the replicative modalities and the pathogenetic mechanisms.
- ability to identify the most appropriate diagnostic approaches in general, and for each micro-organism, in order to prevent their spread, promote timely therapeutic intervention and monitor their effects.
- ability to identify for each microorganism the possibilities and tools to prevent infections and to treat any pathologies caused by them, having acquired the elements of knowledge on the mechanisms of action of the main classes of antimicrobial drugs and of the different types of vaccines and of specific passive immunity.
Specifically, the main skills acquired by students at the end of the course are summarized below:
- ability to indicate for each of the microorganisms studied the position in the classification, the structure, the morphology, the genomic organization, the replicative modalities and the pathogenetic mechanisms.
- ability to identify the most appropriate diagnostic approaches in general, and for each micro-organism, in order to prevent their spread, promote timely therapeutic intervention and monitor their effects.
- ability to identify for each microorganism the possibilities and tools to prevent infections and to treat any pathologies caused by them, having acquired the elements of knowledge on the mechanisms of action of the main classes of antimicrobial drugs and of the different types of vaccines and of specific passive immunity.
Lesson period: Second semester
Assessment methods: Esame
Assessment result: voto verbalizzato in trentesimi
Single course
This course cannot be attended as a single course. Please check our list of single courses to find the ones available for enrolment.
Course syllabus and organization
Linea Policlinico (A-L)
Course syllabus
The course includes the presentation and discussion of the following topics, subdivided into a general part (General microbiology) and a clinical part (Clinical microbiology, i.e.: Bacteriology, Virology, Mycology and Parasitology).
General microbiology:
· Interaction of infectious agents and human hosts
· Main transmission routes (horizontal and vertical) of infectious agents
· Basic concepts of colonization, symbiosis, commensalism, infection and disease
· Classification of infectious agents
· Microbiota (resident microbial population of the human body and composition in the various districts, composition of the microbiome in breast milk)
· Morphology and structure of the bacterial cell with a focus on microbial structures external to the plasma membrane
· Virulence factor of bacteria: biofilm, capsule, enzymes, flagella, pili, plasmids, toxins
· Exchange of genetic information in bacteria: conjugation, transduction, transformation
· Bacteria culture and common staining procedures
· Sporulation and germination
· Molecular structure and classification of human viruses
· Interaction virus-host
· Viral genetics
· Replication cycle of human viruses
· Mode of transmission and types of viral infection (acute, persistent, and latent)
· Morphology, ultrastructure and function of the fungal cell, and mode of reproduction
· Mode of transmission of fungal infectious agents
· Pathogenicity of fungi
· Classification of fungal infections
· Drugs with antifungal activity: mechanisms of action, drug resistance development
· Morphology, structure-function relationship, and mode of reproduction of protozoa
· Mode of transmission and importance of the vectors
· Morphology and structure of parasites (worms and arthropods)
Bacteriology:
Species features involved in human disease: pathogenetic potential, type of infection, drug-resistance of the main human pathogenic bacteria:
· Staphylococci, with particular reference to Staphylococcus aureus;
· Streptococci, with particular reference to: Streptococcus pneumoniae, S. pyogenes, S. agalactiae;
· Neisseriae with particular reference to: Neisseria gonorrhoeae and N. meningitidis;
· Enterobacteriaceae with particular reference to those exogenously acquired (Salmonella, Shigella, Escherichia and Yersinia spp.) and to the opportunistic endogenous species (E. coli, Klebsiella spp., Proteus spp., Enterobacter spp., etc.);
· Mycobacteria with particular reference to: Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex, M. leprae, M. avium intracellulare;
· Aerobic and anaerobic actinomycetes with particular reference to: Nocardia spp. and Actinomyces spp.;
· Gram-positive bacilli with particular reference to: Corynebacterium diphtheriae and Listeria monocytogenes;
· Spore-forming Gram-positive bacilli with particular reference to: Bacillus anthracis, B. cereus, Clostridioides difficile, Clostridium botulinum, C. perfringens and C. tetani;
· Pseudomonadaceae with particular reference to: Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Burkholderia spp., and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia;
· Gram negative bacilli with particular reference to: Acinetobacter spp., Campylobacter spp., Helicobacter pylori, Legionella pneumophila and Vibrio cholerae;
· Spiral bacteria with particular reference to: Treponema pallidum, Borrelia burgdorferi and Leptospira spp.;
· Mycoplasmas with particular reference to: Mycoplasma pneumoniae, M. genitalium, M. hominis, Ureaplasma urealyticum;
· Obligate intracellullar bacteria with particular reference to: Chlamydia trachomatis, Clamydiophila pneumoniae, C. psittaci, Coxiella spp., Ehrlichia spp., Rickettsia spp.
Virology:
Main families, replication modalities, pathogenesis of infections related to:
· DNA viruses: Herpesviridae, Adenoviridae, Parvoviridae, Papillomaviridae; Polyomaviridae, Poxviridae,
· RNA viruses: Orthomyxoviridae, Paramyxoviridae, Rhabdoviridae, Filoviridae, Flaviviridae, Picornaviridae, Togaviridae, Coronaviridae;
· Primary hepatitis viruses: HAV, HBV, HCV, HDV, HEV;
· Retroviridae: HIV, HTLV.
Fungi:
Morphological characteristics, mode of reproduction and pathogenesis of infections sustained by:
· yeast-like fungi with particular reference to Candida spp., Cryptococcus spp.;
· filamentous fungi with particular reference to Aspergillus spp., Fusarium spp., Mucorales and dermatophytes;
· dimorphic fungi.
Parasites:
Morphological characteristics, mode of reproduction and pathogenesis of infections sustained by:
· Pathogenic amoebae,
· Giardia lamblia, Trichomonas vaginalis, Trypanosoma spp., Leishmania spp.,
· Sporozoa: Plasmodium spp., Toxoplasma gondii.
Life cycle, pathogenesis and control of the main helminths involved in human diseases with particular reference to: Cestodes, Nematodes and Trematodes.
Practical activities
· Cultures and isolation of bacteria
· Biochemical tests for bacterial identification
· Bacterial staining
· Dilution and plating of biological samples to determine the bacterial load
· Performing, reading and interpreting the antibiogram
· Reading of identification tests
· Colony count for the determination of bacterial load
General microbiology:
· Interaction of infectious agents and human hosts
· Main transmission routes (horizontal and vertical) of infectious agents
· Basic concepts of colonization, symbiosis, commensalism, infection and disease
· Classification of infectious agents
· Microbiota (resident microbial population of the human body and composition in the various districts, composition of the microbiome in breast milk)
· Morphology and structure of the bacterial cell with a focus on microbial structures external to the plasma membrane
· Virulence factor of bacteria: biofilm, capsule, enzymes, flagella, pili, plasmids, toxins
· Exchange of genetic information in bacteria: conjugation, transduction, transformation
· Bacteria culture and common staining procedures
· Sporulation and germination
· Molecular structure and classification of human viruses
· Interaction virus-host
· Viral genetics
· Replication cycle of human viruses
· Mode of transmission and types of viral infection (acute, persistent, and latent)
· Morphology, ultrastructure and function of the fungal cell, and mode of reproduction
· Mode of transmission of fungal infectious agents
· Pathogenicity of fungi
· Classification of fungal infections
· Drugs with antifungal activity: mechanisms of action, drug resistance development
· Morphology, structure-function relationship, and mode of reproduction of protozoa
· Mode of transmission and importance of the vectors
· Morphology and structure of parasites (worms and arthropods)
Bacteriology:
Species features involved in human disease: pathogenetic potential, type of infection, drug-resistance of the main human pathogenic bacteria:
· Staphylococci, with particular reference to Staphylococcus aureus;
· Streptococci, with particular reference to: Streptococcus pneumoniae, S. pyogenes, S. agalactiae;
· Neisseriae with particular reference to: Neisseria gonorrhoeae and N. meningitidis;
· Enterobacteriaceae with particular reference to those exogenously acquired (Salmonella, Shigella, Escherichia and Yersinia spp.) and to the opportunistic endogenous species (E. coli, Klebsiella spp., Proteus spp., Enterobacter spp., etc.);
· Mycobacteria with particular reference to: Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex, M. leprae, M. avium intracellulare;
· Aerobic and anaerobic actinomycetes with particular reference to: Nocardia spp. and Actinomyces spp.;
· Gram-positive bacilli with particular reference to: Corynebacterium diphtheriae and Listeria monocytogenes;
· Spore-forming Gram-positive bacilli with particular reference to: Bacillus anthracis, B. cereus, Clostridioides difficile, Clostridium botulinum, C. perfringens and C. tetani;
· Pseudomonadaceae with particular reference to: Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Burkholderia spp., and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia;
· Gram negative bacilli with particular reference to: Acinetobacter spp., Campylobacter spp., Helicobacter pylori, Legionella pneumophila and Vibrio cholerae;
· Spiral bacteria with particular reference to: Treponema pallidum, Borrelia burgdorferi and Leptospira spp.;
· Mycoplasmas with particular reference to: Mycoplasma pneumoniae, M. genitalium, M. hominis, Ureaplasma urealyticum;
· Obligate intracellullar bacteria with particular reference to: Chlamydia trachomatis, Clamydiophila pneumoniae, C. psittaci, Coxiella spp., Ehrlichia spp., Rickettsia spp.
Virology:
Main families, replication modalities, pathogenesis of infections related to:
· DNA viruses: Herpesviridae, Adenoviridae, Parvoviridae, Papillomaviridae; Polyomaviridae, Poxviridae,
· RNA viruses: Orthomyxoviridae, Paramyxoviridae, Rhabdoviridae, Filoviridae, Flaviviridae, Picornaviridae, Togaviridae, Coronaviridae;
· Primary hepatitis viruses: HAV, HBV, HCV, HDV, HEV;
· Retroviridae: HIV, HTLV.
Fungi:
Morphological characteristics, mode of reproduction and pathogenesis of infections sustained by:
· yeast-like fungi with particular reference to Candida spp., Cryptococcus spp.;
· filamentous fungi with particular reference to Aspergillus spp., Fusarium spp., Mucorales and dermatophytes;
· dimorphic fungi.
Parasites:
Morphological characteristics, mode of reproduction and pathogenesis of infections sustained by:
· Pathogenic amoebae,
· Giardia lamblia, Trichomonas vaginalis, Trypanosoma spp., Leishmania spp.,
· Sporozoa: Plasmodium spp., Toxoplasma gondii.
Life cycle, pathogenesis and control of the main helminths involved in human diseases with particular reference to: Cestodes, Nematodes and Trematodes.
Practical activities
· Cultures and isolation of bacteria
· Biochemical tests for bacterial identification
· Bacterial staining
· Dilution and plating of biological samples to determine the bacterial load
· Performing, reading and interpreting the antibiogram
· Reading of identification tests
· Colony count for the determination of bacterial load
Prerequisites for admission
The student must have an excellent knowledge of the Italian language. The student is strongly advised to have acquired basic knowledge of cell biology
Teaching methods
The teaching consists of 48 hours of lectures and 12 hours of innovative teaching. The presentations of all the lectures are available through the Ariel website.
There are also 16 hours of laboratory exercises that are carried out by dividing the students enrolled in the course into groups.
There are also 16 hours of laboratory exercises that are carried out by dividing the students enrolled in the course into groups.
Teaching Resources
Jawetz, Melnick e Aadelberg- Microbiologia Medica - Piccin ed
Antonelli, Clementi, Pozi, Rossolini - Principi di microbiologia medica - Casa Editrice Ambrosiana
Murray, Rosenthal, Pfaller - Microbiologia medica - Edra ed.
Antonelli, Clementi, Pozi, Rossolini - Principi di microbiologia medica - Casa Editrice Ambrosiana
Murray, Rosenthal, Pfaller - Microbiologia medica - Edra ed.
Assessment methods and Criteria
The achievement by the student of the expected learning outcomes is verified through an Oral Test. During the test, the knowledge of the topics covered during the lectures, the innovative teaching and the laboratory exercises will be assessed, but also the ability and clarity of presentation of the same topics. The vote will be awarded out of 30. During the course there are written ongoing tests (intermediate) with closed/short open questions that will be awarded with a vote out of 30. The score obtained, if positive, becomes part of the final evaluation and is published in anonymous form (serial number) on Ariel. Participation in the ongoing tests is not mandatory and is not a prerequisite for participation in the Oral Test.
MED/07 - MICROBIOLOGY AND CLINICAL MICROBIOLOGY - University credits: 6
Informal teaching: 32 hours
Lessons: 36 hours
: 12 hours
Lessons: 36 hours
: 12 hours
Professors:
Delbue Serena, Signorini Lucia
Shifts:
Linea Policlinico (M-Z)
MED/07 - MICROBIOLOGY AND CLINICAL MICROBIOLOGY - University credits: 6
Informal teaching: 32 hours
Lessons: 36 hours
: 12 hours
Lessons: 36 hours
: 12 hours
Professor:
Drago Lorenzo
Shifts:
Turno
Professor:
Drago LorenzoLinea San Donato
MED/07 - MICROBIOLOGY AND CLINICAL MICROBIOLOGY - University credits: 6
Informal teaching: 32 hours
Lessons: 36 hours
: 12 hours
Lessons: 36 hours
: 12 hours
Professor:
Bianchi Silvia
Shifts:
Turno
Professor:
Bianchi SilviaProfessor(s)
Reception:
11.00 - 12.00 on Monday by appointment
Direzione Laboratorio Clinico Generale con Aree Specialistiche. IRCCS Multimedica, Via Fantoli 15/16, Milano (Italy). Tel. 02.5540 6642 - Laboratorio di Microbiologia Clinica, Via Mangiagalli, 31 - Milano