Earth’s virology course for 2016

Do you want to learn virology? Every spring I teach a virology course at Columbia University, and this year’s version has just started. I record every lecture and put the videos on YouTube. Here is a link to the playlist: Virology Lectures 2016. Lecture #1, What is a Virus, is embedded below as a teaser.

I strongly believe that the best approach to teaching introductory virology is by emphasizing shared principles. Studying the phases of the viral reproductive cycle, illustrated with a set of representative viruses, provides an overview of the steps required to maintain these infectious agents in nature. Such knowledge cannot be acquired by learning a collection of facts about individual viruses. Consequently, the major goal of my virology course is to define and illustrate the basic principles of animal virus biology.

You can find the complete course syllabus, pdf files of the slides, and reading at virology.ws/course.

My goal is to be Earth’s virology professor, and this is my virology course for the planet.

6 thoughts on “Earth’s virology course for 2016”

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  2. Thank you so much for teaching us about virology, Professor Racaniello! Your lectures are both well structured and interesting, plus they are understandable for someone who is not a scientist or college student. In my school’s biology class we don’t learn about viruses, so I’m really glad I somehow found your lectures on YouTube. Listening to them made me interested in virology, so again, thank you very much!
    Greetings from a place near Marburg, the city the Marburg virus was discovered in. 🙂

  3. Pingback: Earth’s virology course for 2016 | Callin...

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