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Course, academic year 2022/2023
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Immunology - a systems biology view - MB151P103E
Title: Immunology - a systems biology view
Czech title: Imunologie z pohledu systémové biologie
Guaranteed by: Department of Cell Biology (31-151)
Faculty: Faculty of Science
Actual: from 2021 to 2022
Semester: summer
E-Credits: 3
Examination process: summer s.:combined
Hours per week, examination: summer s.:2/0, Ex [HT]
Capacity: 25
Min. number of students: unlimited
4EU+: no
Virtual mobility / capacity: no
State of the course: taught
Language: English
Explanation: Recommended for MSc. students in Immunology working with large datasets, candidates are expected to pass Immunology courses: MB150P14E/optional MB150P15A, please enroll to the Moodle course = Elearning course (link below)
Note: enabled for web enrollment
Guarantor: RNDr. Karel Drbal, Ph.D.
Teacher(s): RNDr. Karel Drbal, Ph.D.
Annotation -
Last update: RNDr. Karel Drbal, Ph.D. (16.03.2019)
Please note: the lectures are given in English language only.

A basic, one-semestral course on immune system functioning from the systems biology point of view.
The teaching is based on data-driven practical experience and is a compatible supplement to the hypothesis-driven classical education in immunology (winter semester MB150P14E Immunology). Please consider a parallel practical course Genomické metody (MB151P102) - for Czech students only - or Methods of functional genomics (MB140P86) - both in summer semester.

There is no qualification prerequisite however, I would strongly recommend to pass the basic course (winter semester MB150P14E Immunology) to all students. We are going to repeat the corresponding knowledge of both Immunology and -omics technologies in the first half of the lesson followed by examples of 1-2 current studies in systems immunology. Each theoretical lesson will be followed by a practical lesson on data analysis from the articles.

Suitable for students of biology, medicine, chemistry. The course is targeted to students of 3rd (BSc.) and 4th (1st MSc.) year (including Erasmus+) as well as PhD students in biomedical fields. Students who would like to continue with the MSc. study in Immunology are expected to pass both immunology courses: Immunology (MB150P14E) and Immunology - a systems biology view (MB151P103E).

Literature -
Last update: RNDr. Karel Drbal, Ph.D. (16.03.2019)

Compulsory reading:

  • Lectures on the Moodle course web site include:
    • videos,
    • primary publications,
    • data examples and
    • recommended SW to be used
  • Lecture attendance is essential - we will focus on interactive method using real data and will discuss the outputs

Recommended reading:

Basic knowledge immunology is prerequisite:

  • L. Sompayrac: How the Immune System Works, 4th Edition, John Wiley & Sons, 2012, 152 pages, ISBN-13 978-0470657294

Expert-level immunology is a plus:

  • K. Murphy: Janeway's Immunobiology (Immunobiology: The Immune System (Janeway)), 8th Edition, Garland Science Publishing 2011, 888 pages, ISBN-13: 978-0815342434
  • No textbook in Systems immunology is currently available
Requirements to the exam -
Last update: RNDr. Karel Drbal, Ph.D. (13.03.2020)

The course evaluation is based on:

1/ a project on a selected topic (50%) - a disease report, experimental model - listed in the Moodle course. This shall comprise both reviews of primary papers, database search, and data analysis and visualization. Followed by oral presentation.

2/ a multiple-choice test (35%) having the database queries an integral part of the exam: a computer test having 10 multiple-choice questions (5 answers each) with 3-hour time limit.

Evaluation:
- each question is ranked by +5 points in total, if answered correctly
- there are one or more correct answers per question possible
- each of 5 answers per question is ranked from -2 (incorrect) up to +5 (a single correct answer) points

3/ a Wikpedia article related to Systems immunology (15%)

Classification:

  • 100-94 points = A (excellent - summa cum laude)
  • 93-80 = B (very good - insigni cum laude); in Czech classification system = 1
  • 79-60 points = C (good - magna cum laude); in Czech classification system = 2
  • 59-47 points = D (quite good - cum laude); in Czech classification system = 3
  • 46-40 = E (pass - rite); in Czech classification system = 3
  • below 39 = FX, F (fail); in Czech classification system = 4
Syllabus -
Last update: RNDr. Karel Drbal, Ph.D. (24.02.2017)

Syllabus:
In the summer semester (Immunology - a systems biology view), each lesson starts with a brief summary and repetition of essential building blocks (30 min) and continue with the online resources for data analysis. Using 1-2 examples of recent publications we are going to demonstrate how the building blocks of immune system cooperate and the immune system functions in collaboration with other body-wide systems (neuro, endocrine, metabolism) using a big data-driven systems biology approach. Final lessons show the networking at the level of cells (signaling, epigenetic, transcriptional, and posttranscriptional levels) and tissues (development, regulation, dynamics, and integration with other homeostatic systems).

Lessons:
- Introduction to the immune system building blocks (organs, cells, molecules)
- Evolution of immune system (innate and adaptive) - comparative genomics
- Receptor diversity generation - immunoreceptor databases and target identification
- Signaling pathways and immunosuppression - pathway modeling
- Transcription programs and immune cell polarization - microarrays, transcriptomics
- Metabolic signatures of immune cell types - metabolomics
- Heterogeneity of immune cells and/or target tissues/pathogens - cellomics
- Classes of immune response (cytokines, chemokines) - dynamics modeling
- Immune system-related pathologies and therapies - clinical databases
- Immune system organization principles & integration with neural & endocrine systems - whole body imaging
- Recapitulation & questions

Entry requirements -
Last update: RNDr. Karel Drbal, Ph.D. (16.03.2019)

There is no prerequisite for this course. However, it is beneficial to pass the basic course of Immunology (MB150P14E) during the winter semester and consider also a parallel practical course Genomické metody (MB151P102) in the summer semester (for Czech students only) or Methods of functional genomics (MB140P86) - in English - both in summer semester. 

 
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