The course will be the first European PhD course of its kind. For participating PhD students it will create a joint conceptual, scientific background for pursuing a career in insect pathology or related disciplines. The aim of the course is to provide participant with an understanding of the concepts and terms used in the scientific discipline insect pathology and the terms relate to the general concept of diseases and health. Further, a learning outcome is that each participant can apply these terms and concepts for specific host-pathogen systems. Also, participants will get an understanding of the biological diversity of insect pathogens.

Among terms to be included are

• Facultative, opportunistic, and obligatory insect pathogens
• Generalist and specialist insect pathogens
• Types of insect pathogen (virus, bacteria, fungi, and more) and their mode of action
• Terms related to field epidemiology: prevalence, incidence
• Terms related to laboratory bio-assays: LC50, LD50, LT50 etc

NB. Regular seats (max. number of participants):
15 INSECTDOCTORS PhD students have prior rights to particiate,
15 other PhD students, totaling max 30.

Other PhD Students not formally enrolled in INSECTDOCTORS may participate in the course after a written application and approval from the course responsible.

INSECT DOCTORS PhD students: sign up for the course, please press "apply" and fill in requested info. Then send mail to course responsible Jørgen Eilenberg, jei@plen.ku.dk stating your affiliation with Insect doctors and the date of your enrolment as PhD student. Subject title in mail: “INSECT DOCTORS – PhD course: "Concepts and terms in insect pathology and their placement in the general context of diseases and health “

Other PhD students: sign up for the course, please press “apply” and fill in requested info. Then send mail to course responsible Jørgen Eilenberg, jei@plen.ku.dk stating your motivation (max. 15 lines) for participating in the course. Subject title in mail: "MOTIVATION - PhD Course : Concepts and terms in insect pathology and their placement in the general context of diseases and health “

The course will be web based.
Some overview lectures will be performed. An important part will be joint discussion of papers and book chapters. The final part, individual reports, will be based on student’s own findings of relevant literature.

Each student will do an individual project. This project will consist of a max five page report related to each student’s study system (host and pathogen). Each student has to find relevant literature. They will use that literature and the course literature to put their studies into the concept of insect pathology, using correct terms and proving an understanding and application of terms and concepts. Each project report will be supervised by the course responsible. For evaluation, each report will be send to another senior INSECT DOCTORS scientist for comments. Thereafter, a final approval is to be done by the course responsible.