Virus structure and replication -- What is a virus -- Virus classification -- Virus structure -- Virus replication -- Effects of virus infection on the host cell -- Types of virus infection -- Viral transformation and oncogenesis -- Sub-viral infections -- Viral interactions with the immune system -- Non-specific immune response -- Cell-mediated immune response -- Serological immune response -- Apoptosis -- Role of co-stimulation in the immune response -- Evasion of immune surveillance -- Epitope mapping -- Production of specific antisera -- Passive immunity.

Medical applications: vaccines and immunotherapy -- Current vaccines -- Adjuvants -- Approaches to vaccine development -- Possible pathogenic effects of biotechnology-derived vaccines -- Tailoring of the immune response to vaccination -- Alternative delivery systems -- Medical applications: antiviral drugs -- History of antiviral drug development -- Current antiviral drugs -- Resistance to antiviral drugs -- Combination therapy -- Interferons -- Development of antiviral drugs -- Nucleic acid-based approaches to antiviral drug development.

Medical applications: cloning and gene therapy -- Viruses and cloning -- Construction of a plasmid vector -- Cloning of viral genes -- Expression in eukaryotic cells -- Viral sector systems -- Gene therapy -- Biological control -- Medical applications: molecular diagnostics -- Immunological assays -- Nucleic acid detection and amplification -- Future developments in diagnostic virology.