Comparative Immunology and Pathology: Foundations and Biotechnological Methodologies

The learning objectives of the course of "Comparative Immunology and Pathology: Foundations and Biotechnological Methodologies" are to achieve knowledge and understanding of the following:
- The fundamentals of innate and adaptive immunity from a comparative perspective and the implications of interest in biotechnology.
- The concept of active and passive immunity and aspects related to the development of immunizing principles.
- The main direct and indirect immunodiagnostic techniques, their practical applications and the most recent biotechnological innovations.
- The etiopathogenesis of structural and functional alterations and response mechanisms to cell and tissue damage and related disorders caused by them.
- The basic biomolecular methodologies applicable to experimental analysis alongside applied skills in diagnostics and research for the study of animal diseases, experimental pathology, and translational medicine.
- The main macroscopic and microscopic (histological and cytological) morphological changes (lesions, alterations) of the main basic pathologies of conventional to laboratory animal species from a comparative perspective and the main causes (etiology).
- The main basic pathological diagnostic techniques for the identification of a disease and its cause.
- The role of comparative special pathology in biotechnology research by illustrating some models (spontaneous, induced and genetically modified) of pathologies from a comparative perspective with humans.

1. Knowledge and understanding:
the student, at the end of the course, will be expected to demonstrate
to know and understand the fundamentals of the functioning of the immune system, the main direct and indirect immunodiagnostic tests, and the basics of vaccine and antiserum development and implementation, with special reference to the most recent biotechnological innovations.
to know and understand the biochemical and molecular mechanisms of cell and tissue damage in major animal diseases. Finally, the student should know the basics of molecular and cellular biology laboratory techniques.
to recognize the main lesions of tissues and organs, their classification and their macroscopic, microscopic morphological equivalents of which he/she will have to relevance and severity by applying a comparative approach useful in identifying spontaneous patterns of disease. Finally, the student should know the basics of pathological histology and cytology laboratory techniques and an understanding of their use for diagnostic purposes.
2. Applying knowledge and understanding:
the student will have to demonstrate knowledge and concepts and useful tools in order to understand the functioning of the immune system and to independently investigate more complex and specific aspects of it. He/she will be able to discriminate among different primary, secondary and tertiary immunodiagnostic tests and understand their different application contexts and biotechnological development perspectives. Acquire practical skills in performing the main laboratory and point-of-need immunodiagnostic tests (ELISA, Western Immunoblotting, Immunochromatography) by applying and consolidating the theoretical knowledge learned during the course.
acquire fundamental knowledge of the molecular mechanisms underlying pathological mechanisms and the basic techniques to study them including (a) blood smear and leukocyte formula in various animal species; (b) basic molecular pathology techniques applied to animal and experimental pathology; (c) basic clinical pathology techniques for hematochemical, urine and cytofluorimetric analysis; (d) basic techniques for the study of experimental pathology on mouse models from a translational medicine perspective.
recognize and name independently the most important basic macro- and microscopic pathologic lesions of organs and tissues in conventional and laboratory animal species. the student should demonstrate knowledge and concepts useful in the interpretation of lesions to arrive at a differential diagnosis/diagnosis and be able to establish correlations between the development of lesions and possible functional consequences by correlating lesions with mechanisms learned from general pathology
evaluate the different potentialities and understand the use of basic diagnostic techniques of special pathology including biopsy sampling, the most useful fixation techniques for different diagnostic purposes and biotechnological research, basic and special histochemical staining useful in the diagnosis of animal diseases.
the student will be expected to demonstrate useful knowledge and concepts to know how to take samples to best understand and answer the questions posed by research with major and specific focus on biotechnology research.
3. Making judgments: The student must demonstrate the ability to critically argue the information acquired. Specific activities in which the student will critically present the results of scientific work on the subject are addressed in this regard.
The student will be able to understand the timing, dynamics and peculiarities of the functioning of the immune system, The student will acquire the ability to critically evaluate the application contexts of different laboratory and field immunodiagnostic tools, understanding their respective advantages and disadvantages, specificities, limitations and prospects for biotechnological development. These skills will also be developed through critical classroom and laboratory discussions.
The student will be expected to demonstrate the ability to critically argue the information acquired. Specific practical exercises in single-seat laboratories are directed to this end. The student will develop critical skills and independent judgment by addressing problems in molecular diagnostic pathology and laboratory methodologies during practical exercises.
The student is expected to demonstrate an understanding and ability to critically argue the information acquired by identifying, through the evaluation of the macroscopic and microscopic findings observed, possible differential diagnoses and the pathway that may direct to a precise diagnosis. Specific examples during the lectures on the interpretation of macroscopic and microscopic lesion pictures are addressed in this regard.
4. Communication:
The student will acquire the ability to describe with scientifically appropriate terminology the physiology of the immune system (mechanisms, molecules, cells) and immunodiagnostic tools using antibodies and antigens, enriching his or her knowledge and communication tools in the specific field. Specific interaction and active participation activities (e.g., wooclap, kahoot) will help develop the ability to properly communicate what has been learned.
The student will be expected to demonstrate the ability to express himself/herself with scientifically appropriate terminology particularly regarding terminology referring to the etiopathogenesis underlying molecular alterations of disease processes and mechanisms of response to damage and related disorders and to the identification and quantification of molecular markers. Exercises are intended to stimulate the ability to express oneself correctly and the ability to discuss scientifically with peers. To develop communication and self-assessment soft skills, students will be actively involved in seminar activities on specific animal pathology topics supported by a mentor figure. The student should demonstrate the ability to describe and discuss with professional and scientifically appropriate terminology the major basic lesions (degeneration, circulatory disorders, inflammation, and tumors) of domestic animals and laboratory species using specific macro- and microscopic nomenclature.
5. Lifelong learning skills:
The ability to pursue the study independently will be developed both by providing the conceptual foundations and by enriching the course with supplementary sources, scientific articles, thematic sites, videos, and other digital content useful for illustrating useful sources for future insights into the physiology of the immune system and its biotechnological applications. The informed use of AI tools for the study of immunology will also be discussed, illustrating their potential and limitations with a critical approach.
The student will be expected to demonstrate the ability to use the acquired knowledge to interpret challenges in the field of veterinary molecular diagnostics, aided by available sources of knowledge and good mental organization.