Microbiology 551 CAPSTONE
Schedule Spring 2015
The in-class research project is chosen each year and typically defines the microbiota of some environment using next
generation sequencing technology (currently 454, moving to Illumina). This semester’s project is to define the microbiota of
fermentations of biomass typically used in biofuel (ethanol) production. This was done by inoculating liquid media containing the
desired biomass with bovine rumen fluid. The microbiotas is to be defined along with VFA HPLC analysis. The class meets formally
for the first several weeks every time (3 hours, 2x a week), but then once a week for updates, and is an open lab other times for student
to do work as needed.
Proposal writing, poster preparation, bioethics and bioinformatics are also a major part of the course.
Students can also do an out-of-class research project in a research lab. They will do the proposal writing, poster
preparation and in class presentations.
Project/Lab Work
Date
Day
1
1/21-22
W/R
Introductions, expectations, organization etc. / Assign Groups / Brief presentations of the system
2
1/26-27
M/T
Disc. of Protocol Writing
Proficiency Exercise
Disc. of Proposal Outline Writing
Period 1-Ethics Intro
3
1/28-29
W/R
Proficiency Exercise continued
Proposal Outline Review in Class
Paper Review (1 and 2)
4
2/2-3
M/T
Proficiency Exercise continued
Period 2 - Ethics
5
2/4-5
W/R
Proficiency Exercise (2/6)
Project Outline Due
Paper Review (3 and 4)
6
2/9-10
M/T
7
2/11-12
W/R
8
2/16-17
M/T
9
2/18-19
W/R
10
2/23-24
M/T
11
2/25-26
W/R
12
3/2-3
M/T
13
3/4-5
W/R
14
3/9-10
M/T
15
3/11-12
W/R
16
3/16-17
M/T
17
3/18-19
W/R
18
3/23-24
M/T
19
3/25-26
W/R
Project
Work
Proposal / Manuscript
Bioethics / The
System/Bioinformatics
Period
Lab Meeting
Period 3 - Ethics
Proposal Outline Due 2/13
Group Presentations
Lab Meeting
454 Quiz
Group Presentations
Lab Meeting
Proposal Draft Due 2/27
Lab Meeting
Proposal Final Due 3/6
Lab Meeting
Lab Meeting
Lab Meeting
3/30-4/3
Poster Section Discussion
Spring Break
20
4/6-7
M/T
21
4/8-9
W/R
22
4/13-14
M/T
23
4/15-16
W/R
24
4/20-21
M/T
25
4/22-23
W/R
26
4/27-28
M/T
27
4/29-30
W/R
28
5/4-5
M/T
29
5/6-7
W/R
Lab Meeting
Bioethics Opinion Paper Due
Lab Meeting
Bioinformatics Session 1
Bioinformatics Session 2
Lab Meeting
Bioinformatics Session 3
Poster Due 4/24
Lab Meeting
Lab Meeting