GENERAL MICROBIOLOGY --- BSCI   30171                                                               FALL 2004

 

Course Information

 

Instructor:                  Christopher J. Woolverton, Associate Professor

Office:                         229 CHH; Telephone Number:  2-4648; email cwoolver@kent.edu

Office Hours:             Mon & Wed 3:15-4:45; others by appointment

Web Resources:        http://dept.kent.edu/biology/Courses/30171/30171.HTM

Class Meetings:         Lecture--Mon, Wed and Fri 2:15-3:05, CHH 011

                                    Lab--BSCI Room 257--Section 001, Tues.    07:45-10:45 am

                                                                        --Section 002, Tues.   11:00-  2:00 pm

                                                                        --Section 003, Thurs. 07:45-10:45 am

 

Texts:             Microbiology, 6th Edition, by Prescott, Harley and Klein, McGraw-Hill, 2005

                        Experimental Microbiology, 3rd Edition, by Woolverton, Morton Publ., 2004

                        Bergey’s Manual of Systematic Bacteriology, Main Library, 2 hour reserve.

 

Prerequisites:  BSCI 10181, 10182, 20140; CHEM 10060, 10061, 10062, 10063.

 

Students with Disabilities:  University policy 3342-3-18 requires that students with disabilities be provided reasonable accommodations to ensure their equal access to course content. If you have a documented disability and require accommodations, please contact the instructor at the beginning of the semester to make arrangements for necessary classroom adjustments. Please note, you must first verify your eligibility for these through Student Disability Services (contact 330-672-3391 or visit www.kent.edu/sds for more information on registration procedures).

 

Course Objectives

1.  To survey the field of Microbiology to appreciate its depth and breadth

2.  To understand the relationships between gene expression, cell physiology, cell behavior and

3.  To develop critical thinking and problem solving skills

 

Course Philosophy

BSCI 30171 is designed to introduce the student to the discipline of microbiology by evaluating how microbes process their hereditary information and regulate their growth and reproduction, how they impact science and technology, and finally, how microbes interact with their environment and other species. As a survey course, our goal is to hit the highlights of each area and hopefully peak your interest to continue your study in some area of the discipline.  We will explore the various microbial life forms that comprise the sciences of bacteriology, mycology, parasitology and virology.  We will focus on the impact microbes have on our lives by understanding how they function as distinct entities within a complex biosphere. Additionally, cause and effect (microbial disease) relationships evaluated by the scientific method are good exercises for developing critical thinking skills and will be used as such in this course.

 

NOTE:  a thorough understanding of cellular biochemistry as presented in BSCI 20140 (Cell Biology) is required for this course.  Please make sure that you understand basic chemistry, metabolic pathways and genetics.  If you need specific assignments to refresh your understanding of these areas, please ask. 

 

Lecture

My style of teaching is interactive.  I present concepts in class and encourage their development by the class members. The material presented in this course is especially suited to teach problem- solving techniques. Come ready to participate.  Reading the material before class, coming to class with questions or answers, and showing up with an open mind will result in maximized learning.  Your pre-class preparation is critical so that you may come to participate in a learning experience, not just to take notes. Learning in this class is an active, didactic process, therefore, attendance at all class meetings and laboratories is expected.  Information will be presented and concepts will be developed in class that will not be effectively communicated by reading the notes of another.  You need to experience each class yourself.  Learning is an ongoing, full-time job.  Read before class.  Ask questions.  Don’t wait until it’s too late to get help.  Class attendance and participation are considered into final grades.  Academic dishonesty will result in a failed assignment, course failure and/or other penalties.  Finally, things don’t always proceed as planned, therefore, I reserve the right to modify lecture, lab and/or exam schedules, if needed, by announcement in lecture.

 

Laboratory

Microbiology lab is designed to teach basic skills of lab safety, instrumentation, quantitation and microbiological technique. Because any microbe can cause disease given the right environment, safety must always be a high priority in the lab.  Therefore, there may never be food, drink, tobacco products, cosmetics, contact lens solutions or chewing gum in the lab or any kind of rough play.  Microbial cultures are not to be taken from the lab under any circumstances.  For some lab exercises, we will replicate human tissue or fluid specimens from non-human sources to simulate a “real world” condition.  While we may refer to these as human sources, they are not.  For your protection, protective eye-wear and a lab coat (or protective clothing) must be worn in the lab.  Finally, some of the laboratory exercises will be accomplished in groups.  Your work is expected to be your own as a component of the group effort.  Be prepared to present your work as a team, to the lab, as part of the exercise. Attendance is mandatory for all labs.  Periodically, you will need to collect data and use the lab outside of scheduled lab times.  You must pass lab to pass the course.  Note:  If you are pregnant or become pregnant during the term, you may not want to be in a laboratory environment.  Please see me, in confidence, about your options. 

 

Exams and Grading

Your final grade will be determined by evaluations of your work on (1), four lecture exams (50 points each), (2) a comprehensive final exam (150 pts), (3) five pop quizzes (100 pts) and (4) your performance in the laboratory. Your laboratory grade will be determined by (1) maintaining your laboratory manual as a “research notebook” (60 points), (2) the identification of bacterial unknowns (30 points), (3) a (20 point) metabolism quiz, and (4) two laboratory practical exams (40 and 50 points, respectively).  Your laboratory manual will be used to collect and report data for each exercise.  The notebook will be checked twice (for up to 30 points) during the semester to confirm that work is completed.  Your accumulated number of points out of 650 will determine your final grade.  Make-up exams are only given in extenuating circumstances and then on 12/10/04. You have one week (after an exam is returned) to challenge my assessment of your learning, after which no grade changes may be requested. Requested grade changes result in the re-examination of the entire exam. The exam format will include, but not be limited to, multiple choice, true/false, forensics (scientific reading comprehension), and case problem solving.  Exams are predominantly designed to test your ability to synthesize information, to think critically and to solve problems, not to test your memorization skills.

                    A = 650-585; B = 584-520; C = 519-455; D = 454-390; F = 389-0

 

LECTURE SYLLABUS

 

      TOPIC                                                            CHAPTERS*             DAYS__________

 

I.                    How We Know What We Know

A.     Questions begging Answers                        1                                  8/30

B.     Culture, Microscopy, et al                           2, 36                            9/1, 9/3

C.     “Modern” Techniques                                 14, 15                          9/8, 9/10, 9/13

D.     Genealogies                                                19 (16)                         9/15

Section Assessment                                                                        9/17

 

II.                 The Family

A.     Viruses and Prions                          16, 17, 18                    9/20

B.     Archaea                                                     3, 20                            9/22

C.     Prokaryotes                                                3, 21, 22, 23, 24          9/22, 9/24, 9/27

D.     Eukaryotes                                                 25, 26, 27                    9/29, 10/1

E.      Control                                                       7, 35                            10/4

Section Assessment                                                                        10/6

 

III.               Family Behavior

A.     Nutrition                                                     5, 9                              10/8, 10/11, 10/13

B.     Growth                                                       6, 10                            10/15, 10/18, 10/20

C.     Reproduction and Gene Flow                     11, 12, 13                    10/22, 10/25

Section Assessment                                                                        10/27

 

IV.              Home Sweet Home

A. Microbial Ecology                                        28, 29, 30                    10/29, 11/1

B.  Doing their Chores                          41, 42                          11/3, 11/5

C.  Coerced to Kill                                           37                                11/5, 11/8

Section Assessment                                                                        11/10

 

V.                 Off to See the World

A.  Clinical Microbiology                                  37, 34                          11/12, 11/15, 11/17

B.  Diseases                                                     38, 39, 40                    11/19, 11/22, 11/29, 12/1,                                                                                           12/3

C.  Responses                                                  31, 32, 33                    12/6, 12/8, 12/10

 

12/13   FINAL EXAM                     12:45-3:00 pm

 

 

*Each chapter may contain more material than required for a particular lecture.  Read the material associated with the corresponding lecture topic identified above, it’s all good stuff.  The readings are designed to assist you in understanding concepts and to review materials you should have received in other courses.  Please feel free to come to an office hour for additional explanations or discussions.

 

 

 

 

LABORATORY SYLLABUS

 

Week

TOPIC

EXERCISES

 

ASSIGNMENTS

1

Labs DO NOT MEET

 

 

Review Lab Manual & Atlas

2

The Microbiology Lab:

Safety, Aseptic Technique, Streak Plate, Pour Plate & Standard Plate Count

1, 3 and 4

 

 

3

Microscopy and Bacterial Staining:

Positive, Negative & Gram staining

5, 6 & 7

 

Receive “Lab Buddy”

4

Bacterial Staining:

Gram’s, Acid-Fast, Endospore staining

7

 

Mix, separate & stain Buddies

5

Bacterial Genetics:

Transformation of E. coli with a p-GLO

8

 

 

6

Bioinformatics

 

Handout

Meet in Main Library Room

7

The Bacterial Growth Curve:

Spectrophotometry and Plate Counts

10

 

 

8

The Bacterial Unknown:  Unknowns Distributed; Selective & Differential Media

9 & 12

 

Notebook Check

9

Growth and Growth Control:

UV, OTC and Antibiotic Use; Bacterial Antagonism,

9 and 11

 

 

10

Bacterial Metabolism:  Proteins and Enzymes

13

 

Lab Exam 1

11

Bacterial Metabolism:  Carbohydrates and Lipids

14 and 15

 

 

12

Fungi, Viruses and Protozoa

Live specimens, CPE/Tissue culture, Clinical Specimens

16, 17 and 18

Metabolism Quiz

 

13

Medical Microbiology:  Clinical Unknowns and Case Histories

19

Notebook Check

14

Medical Microbiology:  Clinical Unknowns and Case Histories (continued)

20

 

Unknown reports due

 

15

No Exercises; checkout

 

Lab Exam 2