Viruses: Strategy and Tactics

Viruses are unique parasites of living cells and may be the most abundant, highest evolved life forms on the planet. The general strategies encoded by all known viral genomes are discussed using selected viruses as examples. A part of the course is dedicated to the molbio (tactics) inherent to these strategies. Another part introduces the biology of engagement of viruses with host defenses, what happens when virus infection leads to disease, vaccines and antiviral drugs, and the evolution of infectious agents and emergence of new viruses. These topics are intertwined with discussions of modern technologies that benefit the field of virology.