Evolution of Infectious Disease

Course Description: Evolution underlies every aspect of biology, but many people have an impression that evolution is restricted to the study of fossils revealing how large organisms are related to one another. Evolution continues to occur, and we can study both microevolution and macroevolution of microbes within human lifetimes. We will survey how pathogenic microorganisms have evolved, with an emphasis on understanding how the same evolutionary principles that we infer from large eukaryotic species can be concretely observed in viruses, bacteria and eukaryotic parasites. This course will highlight the rapidity with which microbes respond to changing ecology, including human interventions, and the mechanisms of creating and maintaining population variation that underlies this adaptability. Through studying the evolution of specific pathogens in depth, the role of both natural selection and genetic drift will be illustrated. The practical applications of experimental evolution and evolutionary theory in designing vaccines, drugs and other interventions against infectious disease will also be covered. While some microbial biology and immunology will be taught as a necessary component of understanding microbial evolution, this will not be a course in pathogenic microbiology, and will focus on the evolution of viruses, bacteria and a few eukaryotic pathogens. In addition to the lectures, students are expected to learn some course concepts directly from the primary scientific literature and from a wide range of media that communicate science to the public: a bestselling book on emerging diseases, the New York Times, science bloggers, podcasts and YouTube clips produced by scientists. Students will demonstrate their own ability to contribute to the discussion of evolutionary principles and research by producing two blog posts, which will be available on the course sakai site, but not available to the general public/search engines. Course Goals: Through the course readings, lectures and assignments you will understand and apply basic principles and concepts in the biological sciences (evolution and microbiology). In course assignments, you will use current technologies to access information, to conduct research, and to communicate findings. Through blogging about the research, you will use an emerging mode of scientific communication to communicate complex ideas effectively, in standard written English, to a general audience. You will demonstrate that you can communicate effectively in modes appropriate to this area of inquiry (evolution) and that you can evaluate and critically assess sources and use the conventions of attribution and citation correctly.