3 ECTS credits
75 h study time

Offer 1 with catalog number 4024222ENR for all students in the 1st semester at a (E) Master - advanced level.

Semester
1st semester
Enrollment based on exam contract
Impossible
Grading method
Grading (scale from 0 to 20)
Can retake in second session
Yes
Taught in
English
Faculty
Faculteit Wetenschappen en Bio-ingenieurswetensch.
Department
Bio-Engineering Sciences
Educational team
Geert Raes (course titular)
Activities and contact hours
26 contact hours Lecture
Course Content

Building on a basic knowledge of immunology and cell biology, the course will go deeper into immunology, with an important emphasis on cell biological aspects, the molecular interactions between the cells and signal transduction.  

The main topics of the course, organized in chapters, will be: 

  • Introduction (including main concepts of innate versus adaptive immunity; structure and functioning of lymphoid organs). 
  • Innate immunity (including anatomical barriers; humoral innate immunity; pattern recognition; phagocytosis; main cells, cytokines, chemokines and effector mechanisms involved in innate immunity).
  • Antigen presentation and antigen presenting cells (including MHC molecules; processing and presentation of intracellular and extracellular antigens; costimulation; the different types, development and functions of dendritic cells).
  • T cell biology (including T cell activation and T cell receptor signaling; T cell development in thymus; helper T cell subsets). 
  • B cell biology (including B cell activation and B cell receptor signaling; B cell development in bone marrow and spleen, T-B interactions).
  • Immune tolerance (including the distinction between central and peripheral tolerance; the different types, development and functions of regulatory T cells). 

Throughout these different chapters, techniques and experimental approaches to study immunological processes will be presented. 

Case studies on diseases such as asthma and cancer will also be included. 

Course material
Handbook (Recommended) : Immunobiology, Janeway, Travers
Digital course material (Required) : Handouts of the Powerpoint lecture slides
Additional info

n.a.

Learning Outcomes

General Competencies

The course aims at providing you a thorough understanding of immunological processes and their implications and applications in human health. In this course: 

1) You acquire a profound theoretical and application-oriented knowledge and understanding of the way the immune system functions in living organisms and what are the underlying cellular and molecular-biological processes. 

2) You acquire knowledge and understanding of advanced techniques and results in the field of immunology and are aware of how these techniques and results are applied in research and medicine. 

Grading

The final grade is composed based on the following categories:
Oral Exam determines 100% of the final mark.

Within the Oral Exam category, the following assignments need to be completed:

  • Oral ex with written prep with a relative weight of 1 which comprises 100% of the final mark.

Additional info regarding evaluation

Oral examination with written preparation. The students can choose to take the exam in English or in Dutch. 

Allowed unsatisfactory mark
The supplementary Teaching and Examination Regulations of your faculty stipulate whether an allowed unsatisfactory mark for this programme unit is permitted.

Academic context

This offer is part of the following study plans:
Master of Bioengineering Sciences: Cell and Gene Biotechnology: Medical Biotechnology (only offered in Dutch)
Master of Bioengineering Sciences: Cell and Gene Biotechnology: Agrobiotechnology (only offered in Dutch)
Master of Bioengineering Sciences: Cell and Gene Biotechnology: Synthetic Biotechnology (only offered in Dutch)
Master of Bioengineering Sciences: Chemistry and Bioprocess Technology: Food Biotechnology (only offered in Dutch)
Master of Bioengineering Sciences: Chemistry and Bioprocess Technology: Sustainable Chemical Biotechnology (only offered in Dutch)
Master of Bioengineering Sciences: Chemistry and Bioprocess Technology: Micro- and Nanobiotechnology (only offered in Dutch)
Master of Molecular Biology: Standaard traject
Master of Biology: Molecular and Cellular Life sciences