Molecular Virology [SVETM209]

Learning outcomes

This introduction to molecular virology provides a general overview of the world of viruses. By the end of the course, the learner will have understood that : • Viruses are viruses, they are a biological entity in their own right • The evolution of viral populations follows paths that differ from those encountered in animal population genetics. • The cell is a labyrinth that can be hacked by organisms that co-evolve with it. The study of viral multiplication strategies will be based on 5 important viral families: herpesviruses, coronaviruses, retroviruses, orthomyxoviruses and mononegavirals. The study of these replication strategies will shed light on the different stages of the cell used by these obligate parasites. • Viruses are interesting small-scale models in biology as they have allowed significant advances in the understanding of complex biological processes such as (i) regulation of gene expression; (ii) cell differentiation; (iii) carcinogenesis processes.

Objectives

- discovering the diversity of the viral universe - studies of the evolutionary mechanisms supporting the diversification and adaptation of viral populations - to see the constitution and functioning of the cell in a different light - understand various mechanisms of gene expression regulation - to understand the involvement of viruses in cancer processes.

Content

This course presents, from a selection of structural and molecular virology elements, 4 key aspects of viruses, namely: (i) viruses are viruses; (ii) the evolution of viral populations; (iii) the study of cellular organization by describing viral multiplication strategies; (iv) the involvement of viruses in oncogenesis.