Dalla Lana School of Public Health

Public Health Mycology

CO-INSTRUCTORS: Dr. James Scott, Dr. Richard Summerbell, Dr. Manal Tadros

CLASSROOM: TBA

TIMING: Lecture F10-12, Lab F1-4 (laboratory available outside of class hours)

EMAIL: james.scott@utoronto.ca

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

This lecture and laboratory-based graduate course will familiarize students with fungi of public health importance, particularly those that cause disease in humans and other animals. Lectures will discuss basic mycology, health implications and environmental risk factors for fungal disease, clinical presentations, pathophysiology, and treatment of fungal infections. Laboratory sessions will stress techniques employed in the isolation and characterization of the fungi, the use of sterile technique, and the operation of standard laboratory equipment.

SCHEDULE:

DATE	TOPIC
Week 1	Lecture: Fungal structure and systematics Laboratory: Working with microfungi in the laboratory
Week 2	Lecture: Fungal habitats Laboratory: Brightfield microscopy in microfungal identification
Week 3	Lecture: Microfungi 1 – Mucoromycota Laboratory: Isolation of fungi from environmental materials
Week 4	Lecture: Microfungi 2 – Ascomycota Laboratory: Microfungi in pure culture and fungal preservation
Week 5	Lecture: Microfungi 3 – Basidiomycota Laboratory: Working with morphological keys for fungal identification
Week 6	Lecture: Medical fungi 1 – Endemic mycoses Laboratory: Culture collection
Week 7	Lecture: Medical fungi 2 – Cutaneous mycoses Laboratory: Culture collection
Week 8	Lecture: Medical fungi 3 – Opportunistic mycoses Laboratory: Culture collection
Week 9	Lecture: Medical fungi 4 – Medically important yeasts Laboratory: Culture collection
Week 10	Lecture: Veterinary mycoses Laboratory: Culture collection
Week 11	Lecture: Antifungal drugs Laboratory: Culture collection

EVALUATION:

• In-class final test (40%).
• Culture collection consisting of 16 pure cultures identified to genus-level or species-level based on their work in the laboratory (40%). Due at the end of the last week of classes.
• Participation in class and laboratory sessions (20%).