Textbook: Brock's Biology of Microorganisms, 11/e (10/e will work, also), Madigan and Martinko (ISBN 0-13-144329-1)
The course will begin with an introduction to microbiology and a review of basic cell structure, nutrition and growth (Chapters 1-6). This will be followed by principles of genetics, metabolic regulation and virology (Chapters 7-10). We will then move to a discussion of the diversity of microorganisms and some of the evolutionary questions relevant to them (Chapters 11-13, 15-16). We will survey a few microbial groups, with reports from class members. You will have 20 minutes for your presentation. Please cover items like evolutionary and ecological significance, and distinct phenotypic characteristics. You will need to consult other resources besides our textbook.
We will then turn our attention to the great metabolic diversity among prokaryotes and how that relates to isolation and culture and microbial ecology (Chapters 17-19) (alternative carbon fixation pathways). The rest of the course will be determined to some extent by student interest. We might cover some of the basic microbiology of the human body (Chapter 21). We might discuss epidemiology and clinical microbiology (Chapters 24-25). We might give some coverage to microbial diseases of humans (Chapters 26-27). We could also look at the industrial applications of microbiology (Chapters 28-30).
Class schedule:
We will meet every day at 9 AM for class. Lab will be officially from 1 to 3 PM daily. Since most of your work will be individual, you are free to come in at other times as well. You will keep a lab notebook. It should be divided according to project, not according to time (that is, do not make it a diary or a continuous log); most exercises in the lab will extend over more than one day, some over the entire block. Leave enough room to complete the observations and conclusions. Please read the lab web page for more information.
We will have a test on the second Wednesday, January 16, over whatever material we have covered to that point. We will have a second exam in the last week of the term. (Click for sample exam questions.) We will leave some time to finish up with lab, lab notebooks and papers.
Grading:
You will be graded on lab performance and lab writeups. The lab writeups you may do in your lab notebook. Please remember that your lab notebook should include enough detail to allow someone reading it to reproduce your work (with appropriate reference materials). Additionally, I would like you to summarize and interpret the results of each experiment/exercise. You may find that drawings will be an important part of your results. This is especially the case for the Winogradsky columns.
You will also write a paper (2000-2500 words, 8-10 normal double spaced pages), including at least 8 non-textbook references (at least 6 (six) primary research articles, not reviews), on some subject of interest to you relevant to microbiology. Many students choose a disease/pathogen of personal or current interest. That is fine. Other topics might include some aspect of microbial evolution or ecology, or the industrial or commercial application of a microorganism or microbial product. A rough draft must be turned in by Monday of the third week. For each day it is late, the maximum grade on your paper will decline. Remember that this is a 300-level course, and the quality of your paper should be commensurate with the level of the course. Do not be satisfied with superficiality. Choose a narrow enough focus that you can explore in some depth the current research on the topic.
Both the lab notebook and the final draft of the paper are due at noon on the final Wednesday.
Exams 45% Paper 25% Lab 25% Report 5%
Some interesting, and perhaps, helpful, links: