Undergraduate Programmes

Medical

medical lab

The Department teaches the Microbiology and Infectious Diseases course and Immunology course to second year medical undergraduates. The former course provides the basic and applied principles of general microbiology, virology, bacteriology, mycology and parasitology, essential for the understanding of infectious diseases. Emphasis is placed on the scientific concepts, clinical features, laboratory diagnosis, treatment, prevention and control of microbial diseases, particularly those relevant to Singapore and the region. This course also integrates basic microbiological with clinical infectious diseases.

The Immunology course provides an overview of the components of the immune system and their function. It provides an understanding of the basis of innate and acquired immune responses, the role of the immune system in health and disease, and the appreciation of the basis of the diagnosis, control and treatment of immune-mediated diseases.

(From "The Evolution of Teaching and Learning Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases at NUS" by MB Taylor and VTK Chow; Annals Academy of Medicine (2005) 34(6), 98C – 101C.)

Life Science

Microbiology and Immunology are taught as components of the Life Science undergraduate (BSc) programme. For the microbiology courses, students are introduced to the major groups of microorganisms and basic techniques required for experiments with these microorganisms, for example, aseptic techniques, cultivation of microbes and tissue culture techniques are taught. Experiments specially designed for students form the backbone of the course. Students taking the Infectious Disease course are taught the basic properties of microbes of medical importance, how they cause disease, how infections are diagnosed and treated, and how they may be prevented. The Immunology course provides the central concepts of immunology and foundation for understanding how immunity functions.

Students who attain good grades are eligible for the Life Science Honours programme in Year 4. Half of the honours year is spent on a research project and the reminder on taught courses.

Courses taught by our academic staff:

  • LSM2191 Laboratory Techniques in Life Sciences
  • LSM2291 Fundamental Techniques in Microbiology
  • LSM3223 Immunology
  • LSM3225 Molecular Microbiology in Human Diseases
  • LSM3228 Microbiomes and Biofilms
  • LSM3232 Microbiology
  • LSM3242 Applied Microbiology
  • LSM3245 RNA Biology And Technology
  • LSM4222 Advanced Immunology
  • LSM4223 Advances in Antimicrobial Strategies
  • LSM4226 Infection and Immunity
life science lab

Suggested courses for LSM majors specializing in BMS and interested in Microbiology/Infectious Diseases life science lab

Suggested courses for LSM majors specializing in BMS and interested in Immunology/Immunotherapy life science lab

Dental

The Department teaches microbiology and immunology to second year Bachelor of Dental Surgery students. The two-term course covers basic aspects of bacteriology, mycology, virology and immunology relevant to the practice of dentistry.

Nursing

In 2007, the Department undertakes the teaching of microbiology and immunology to second year Bachelor of Science (Nursing) Programme. Today, the nursing module MIC1000 Infection and Immunity is designed to give the students a basic grasp of the principles of medical microbiology and the application of these to the clinical practice of infectious diseases, the proper use of antimicrobial therapy and how infection control policies are formulated and implemented. It also provides an introduction to the fundamentals of immunology, and illustrates the clinical applications of this knowledge.

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