Virology I: How Viruses Work

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Free Online Course: Virology I: How Viruses Work provided by Coursera is a comprehensive online course, which lasts for 11 weeks long, 3-4 hours a week. The course is taught in English and is free of charge. Upon completion of the course, you can receive an e-certificate from Coursera. Virology I: How Viruses Work is taught by Vincent Racaniello.

Overview
  • This introductory virology course emphasizes the common reactions that must be completed by all viruses for successful reproduction within a host cell and survival and spread within a host population. The molecular basis of alternative reproductive cycles are presented with examples drawn from a set of representative animal and human viruses, although selected bacterial viruses will be discussed.

    This offering has been a top-ten iTunes U Course in sciences pretty much since its release in 2012, with over 80,000 subscriptions. The course will be ported to the Coursera platform in two parts and will allow interested online students to take the course as a cohort for the first time.

Syllabus
  • Week 1
    Welcome to virology
    What is a virus?
    Viruses then and now
    Week 2
    The infectious cycle
    Assay of viral infectivity
    Measureme of virions and their components
    Revolutionary methods
    One-step growth cycle
    Week 3
    The Baltimore scheme
    DNA virus genomes
    RNA virus genomes
    Viral genetics Week 4
    Structure
    The tools of structural virology
    Helical symmetry
    Icosahedral symmetry
    Enveloped virions
    Complex virions Week 5
    Attachment to cells
    Entry into cells
    Acid-catalyzed fusion
    A new paradigm for entry
    Entry of non-enveloped virions
    Entering the nucleus Week 6
    Viral RNA synthesis
    RNA polymerization
    Plus strand RNA synthesis
    Negative strand RNA synthesis
    RNA synthesis of dsRNA genomes
    RNA synthesis as a source of diversity Week 7
    DNA basics
    Lessons from SV40
    Priming via DNA or protein
    Viral origins
    Big DNA viruses
    Regulation of DNA synthesis Week 8
    Transcription
    Initiation of transcription
    Viral transcription regulation
    Capping and polyadenylation
    Pre-mRNA splicing Week 9
    Reverse transcriptase
    Retroviruses
    Reverse transcription
    Integration
    The provirus
    Hepatitis B virus Week 10
    End-dependent initiation of protein synthesis
    Other decoding mechanisms
    One mRNA, one protein?
    Maximizing coding capacity of the viral genome
    Regulation of translation: eIF2alpha
    How viruses regulate cell translation
    MicroRNAs Week 11
    Principles of virion assembly
    Getting to the right place
    Making sub-assemblies
    Concerted assembly: Budding
    Genome packaging
    Acquisition of an envelope and egress

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