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Listed in: Biology, as BIOL-270
Moodle site: Course (Login required)
Alexandra E. Purdy (Section 01)
Microbes inhabit the world's oceans, deserts, lakes, soils, and atmosphere, and play a vital role in the Earth's biogeochemical cycles. As humans, we harbor a diverse microbial flora estimated to outnumber our own human cells. During this course, we will explore this microbial world by investigating the structure, physiology, genetics, and evolution of microorganisms with a focus on bacteria, but including discussions of archaea, viruses, and microbial eukaryotes. The goal of the course is to gain an understanding of the unique properties of microbes that enable their persistence and diversification. We will also pay special attention to microbial interactions with eukaryotic organisms, by studying both host and microbe contributions to virulence, mutualism, and symbiotic relationships. Three hours of lecture and one hour of discussion per week.
Requisite: BIOL 191. Recommended: BIOL 181. Limited to 15 students. Not open to first-year students. Fall 2022. Professor Purdy.
How to handle overenrollment: Preference to senior biology majors, then junior majors, then senior non-biology majors or pre-med, then junior non-bio majors or pre-med, then sophomores.
Students who enroll in this course will likely encounter and be expected to engage in the following intellectual skills, modes of learning, and assessment: Students who enroll in this course will likely encounter and be expected to engage in the following intellectual skills, modes of learning, and assessment: an emphasis on group work, discussions of primary literature, problem sets, oral presentations, in-class exams, scientific writing, and independent research.