BIO 334 General Microbiology

4 Credit(s)

An analysis of microorganisms including bacteria, archaea, viruses, and other microbes, emphasizing their diversity, structure, function, and ecological roles in natural and engineered systems. The course will involve investigating microbial evolution, metabolic pathways unique to prokaryotes, information flow and genetic processes across domains, and interactions between microbes and their environments using an integration of microscopy, molecular methods, cultivation techniques, and bioinformatics approaches. Students will explore microbial ecology including community interactions, environmental relationships, and the beneficial impacts of microbes as essential supporters of life and biotechnological tools. Laboratories will stress investigative methods of studying microorganisms including culture-dependent and culture-independent techniques. Three lecture hours and one three-hour laboratory per week. Intended for students majoring in Biology.

Prerequisites: BIO212 Cell Biology, BIO217 General Genetics, BIO218 Ecology and the Environment, and BIO219 Evolution or permission of Department Chairperson.