In module two, we will explore a key soluble component of our innate immune system: the complement. We will learn about its main components, how it gets activated by pathogens and how the outcome leads to pathogens destruction. We will also explore how the complement system contributes to other innate immune activities, such as phagocytosis, that is the uptake of microorganisms by immune cell for destruction.

In module three, we will investigate how our microbiota plays a protective role in our health. We will first define the human microbiome in more details and explore its influence on various common pathologies such as asthma, diabetes or cancer. The module ends on an opportunity for learners to reflect and share with others on the effects of pro-biotics on our health.

In module four, we will understand how the innate system communicates with the adaptive immune cells. We will explore which cells oversee this essential function and how they capture, digest and present pathogenic molecules to the adaptive immune cells to for their activation. Importantly, we will also investigate how the innate immune response helps this second phase of response to ‘adapt’ to the nature of the infection.

In module five, we will look at one example of innate cells, called Natural Killers, that are directly able to destroy infected and tumour cells. We will explore how they interact with other immune cells, how they recognise their target cells and the mechanisms they use to lead to their death. Importantly, we will also discover the mechanisms that prevent their mis-activation to prevent the disastrous destruction of health host cells.