Viruses In Our World

Catalog description

This course will explore the amazing range of viruses in our world, using examples that are popular as well under-appreciated. We will discuss how viruses differ from other microbes, and what aspects of host cells and organisms are used by viruses to reproduce and spread. The course will cover the known range of life-forms on earth, by covering viruses that infect everything from bacteria, plants, animals, and humans. We will include viruses that are well-known (e.g. influenza or "the flu") as well as unusual and oddball examples (e.g. gigantic viruses, or viruses that infect other viruses). This course will utilize popular-media portrayals of viruses in film to engage students in evaluating fact vs. fiction in the media. The impact and portrayal of viruses in art and popular culture is an integral component of the course. Students will engage with the course material with direct in-class assessments, as well as through creative endeavors such as building an infographic and exploring viruses in songs and poetry. Through this course, students will gain an understanding of the coincident beauty and hazards that viruses entail. This course is intended to stimulate a greater interest in biology and science overall, and to empower students to use good scientific judgement as they seek out additional information in their own areas of interest.