BIOL 2201 - General Microbiology

• BIOL 1106  or equivalent

AND

• CHEM 1020 , CHEM 1050 , CHEM 1061 , or equivalent

(www.asm.org/index.php/guidelines/curriculum-guidelines)

1. Apply the scientific method to ask questions, formulate hypotheses, design, and execute experiments, and evaluate results for problems exploring bacterial contributions to animal, water, soil, or industry-based systems.
2. Explain and apply fundamental concepts related to the taxonomy, structure, function, diversity, and ecology of microbes including bacteria, viruses, fungi, and single-celled eukaryotes.
3. Use critical thinking skills to understand, evaluate, and analyze processes related to microbes:
   • Microbial pathogenesis
   • Microbial metabolic diversity
   • Microbial biotechnology
4. Demonstrate ability to use a microscope, identify microbes, and perform several staining techniques.
5. Utilize and understand the application of microbial isolation from the environment, food, and water.
6. Organize, draft, edit, and revise formal scientific writing.
7. Read, interpret, incorporate, and cite information and ideas from primary literature into writing.
8. Discuss microbial impacts on climate change, environmental bioremediation, and advances in technology related to global animal/human health.

1. Review of prokaryotic and eukaryotic cell structures, function, and relevance to survival
2. Introduction to microbial ecology, diversity, history, and biotechnology applications
3. Classification, safe handling, aseptic techniques, and culturing of microbial diversity
4. Bacterial metabolic diversity
5. Microbial genome structure, genetics, and regulation of gene expression
6. Use of a microscope as applied to microbiology
7. Characterization of microbial communities related to animal/human disease and health
   • Differential staining
   • Biochemical assays for identification
   • Food microbiology
   • Culture-based and molecular methods for identification
   • Role of therapeutics
8. Application of bioinformatics databases and methods to bacterial DNA analysis
9. Bacterial response to environmental variables such as temperature, pH, salinity, osmolarity, and nutrient deprivation
10. Characterization of environmental microbial communities
    • Marine microbiology
    • Soil microbiology
    • Plant-microbe interactions
    • Industrial microbiology
    • Bacterial communication
11. Basic virology and parasitology