SPRING 2016
BIOLOGY 250
PRINCIPLES OF MICROBIOLOGY
LECTURE SECTION A01 ONLY
(1) GENERAL INFORMATION
Class Meetings: Tuesday and Thursday 3:30-4:45 PM Rm. 149 Weyandt
FIRST CLASS TUESDAY JANUARY 19, 2016
Instructor: Dr. Carl S. Luciano
Office: Rm. 19 Weyandt
Phone: 357-4462
E-mail: LUCIANO@IUP.EDU
INSTRUCTOR WEB SITE: http://www.people.iup.edu/luciano/
(2) OFFICE HOURS
Spring, 2016
TR 1:00-3:00
W 10:00-11:00
For many minor or well-focussed questions, a telephone call or an e-mail may be more
expeditious or convenient than an office visit. You are encouraged to use the phone for
such questions, regardless of posted office hours. If I am not at my desk, leave a message
and I'll get back to you.
(3) COURSE TEXTBOOK
Madigan & Martinko & Bender &: Brock Biology of Microorganisms 14/e
To learn more about this title visit the Pearson Higher Education catalog:
http://www.pearsonhighered.com/catalog/academic/product?ISBN=0321897072
FYI-this is the same text as used in Fall, 2015 so you may be able to locate copies locally, on
the “black market”.
The IUP Coop Bookstore will have information on this book so you can purchase it from
them if you wish.
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You can contact Pearson to purchase the book.
You can order from Amazon if you wish.
Here is the Amazon link for the book:
http://www.amazon.com/Brock-Biology-Microorganisms-MichaelMadigan/dp/0321897390/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1450807510&sr=81&keywords=brock+microbiology+14th+edition
It doesn’t matter to me where you get the book but you will need it so please go ahead and
get a copy.
You can purchase hard-bound, loose-leaf or e-text, used or new. It is up to you-whatever
works best for you and fits best into your budget.
Be sure to get the 14th edition and not an older edition. Older editions won’t work.
This is the only required textbook for the lecture. I am not requiring that you purchase
access to the Mastering Microbiology supplement from Pearson because I do not plan to
work it in to the course this semester.
However, if you feel that this on line supplement will help you with the course then go
ahead and purchase it for yourself on your own. It is not required for the course.
Dr. Seema Bharathan is the lab professor for the course and she will provide you with
information on lab materials and lab textbook.
Readings in other texts or from the Internet may also be required. Hard copies or
electronic versions will be provided.
(4) COURSE PHILOSOPHY
PHILOSOPHY: This is mid-level course intended for undergraduates who are past the
introductory phase of their academic program. The course requires some learning of basic
microbiology terminology but also requires understanding of important microbiology
conceptes and principles as well. In general, the course emphasizes the breadth of the
science of microbiology as opposed to depth of understanding in any one aspect of the
science. This means we will be covering a wide variety of topics related to microbiology as
opposed to focussing on any one group of microbes or aspect of the science such as
metabolism, genetics or clinical microbiology.
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(5) COURSE CATALOG DESCRIPTION AND PREREQUISITES
BIOL 250 Principles of Microbiology 3c-3l-4cr Prerequisites: BIOL 112 or 203 or
instructor permission. An introduction to microbiology focusing on the fundamental
principles of microbial structure, modes of reproduction, genetics, and physiology.
Emphasizes the importance of microbes in ecological, industrial, immunological, and
epidemiological processes. Standard microbiological methods and techniques are
emphasized in laboratory.
The prerequisite course for Principles of Microbiology is BIOL 203 Principles of Genetics
and Developmental Biology. That course in turn has a prerequisite of BIOL 202 Principles
of Cell and Molecular Biology. These prerequisites mean that BIOL 250 students are
expected to bring a good understanding of cell biology, molecular biology, genetics and
developmental biology when they enter BIOL 250. BIOL 250 students will also have taken
from 1-4 CHEM courses by the time they start BIOL 250. I will try to build on all these
principles and foundations of chemistry and biology in our microbiology course-not repeat
them,
(6) GRADING SYSTEM
In BIOL 250, 75% of your overall grade will come from material covered in lecture and
25% will come from lab material. Your lab instructor will describe lab grading procedures
separately.
Your lecture grade in BI 250 (75% of total grade for course) will be derived from three
sources: (I) three equally-weighted non-comprehensive exams, (II) a set of short writing
assignments called “Writing” or “Homework”, (III) one major writing assignment which
will be called the “Literature Review” or “Literature Research Paper” from here on.
Each of these sources will be weighted as follows.
Exams (3 equally-weighted)
Literature Review
Homework (and other writing)
50% of final grade
15% of final grade
10% of final grade
Combined with 25% of the course grade from lab, these account for all 100% of your
BIOL 250 grade.
I. Exams
There will be three written examinations in the course, equally-weighted and
approximately equally-spaced over the semester. The exam given during finals week
will not be comprehensive in the usual sense of the word. However, you will have to
understand the introductory material from the beginning of the semester in order to do
well with the more advanced material at the end of the semester. Each exam will count as
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about 16-17% of the final grade. The exams will each contain fill-in-the-blank questions
definitions, short answer questions and essay questions. Students will be allowed
to make up missed exams only in cases of dire emergency (as judged by the instructor
on a case-by-case basis) and with documentation.
Fill-in-the-blank questions are intended to test the level of your literacy in microbiology.
Thus, most of them will simply require that you memorize and recognize definitions, terms,
equations and so on. Short answer questions will test your ability to apply general
principles to specific, perhaps novel, situations and to recognize the correct experimental
approach to well-defined problems. Essay questions will test your ability to assimilate
larger bodies of information, to organize that information in a logical, coherent fashion and
to express it in an articulate way.
Review sessions will be scheduled before each exam if requested.
All three exams taken together will will count as 50% of the final grade for the course.
II. Literature Review
Each student will select a topic from the microbiology literature and review it in a full
written paper of at least 1500 words. The review will be due near the end of the semester
You will get a separate assignment sheet for this writing assignment, which you will receive
soon). The term paper will count as 15% of the final grade.
III. Homework and other writing
During the semester you will be assigned a number of short writing assignments to turn in
electronically or via hard copy. Some of these will be individual assignments and some will
be group assignments. Some will need to be completed in class and others out of class. Some
will require internet activities and others will not. Collectively, these assignments are
termed “homework” for lack of a better term and will count as 10% of the final grade.
(7) MAKE UP WORK AND ABSENCES
I will judge requests for make up work on a case by case basis and will expect to see some
documentation for issues such as illnesses, university business, military assignments, court
dates and so on. If you know that you have to be away on an important date it is better to
let me know in advance so that we can work out arrangements for make up work without a
rush.
If you are absent unexpectedly and want to make up missed work then you must take the
responsibility to initiate a plan for the make up work by contacting me, within one week of
the missed assignment.
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We will handle arrangements for make up work using email to confirm discussions and
plans. This way we will all have an electronic copy of all conversations and decisions.
I will not give a high priority to make up requests that involve social events, family
gatherings or a desire to leave town early at the end of the semester.
There will from time to time be graded in-class writing assignments and also class
discussions. Therefore, although I will not take attendance in class, it is to your advantage
to attend all regular class meetings.
(8) GRADE SCALE
Unless the grade distribution is skewed in some unusual way, I will adhere to a standard
90/80/70/60 scale for letter grades A-D. Students receiving less than 60% will flunk the
course.
(9) SUMMARY OF IMPORTANT DATES
EXAMS (All Exams in Room 149)
First Exam:
Second Exam:
Third Exam:
February 18
March 31
Thursday, May 5, 12:30-2:30 PM in Room 149
Dates for the first two exams can be changed if needed but the date and time of the third
exam cannot be changed.
(10) TENTATIVE SCHEDULE
TBA
(11) University Academic Integrity Policy
We will follow all official IUP policies relating to academic integrity. Please consult the
appropriate catalog for information on this policy.
(12) Title IX Language
Indiana University of Pennsylvania and its faculty are committed to assuring a
safe and productive educational environment for all students. In order to meet
this commitment and to comply with Title IX of the Education Amendments of
1972 and guidance from the Office for Civil Rights, the University requires faculty
members to report incidents of sexual violence shared by students to the
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University's Title IX Coordinator. The only exceptions to the faculty member's
reporting obligation are when incidents of sexual violence are communicated by
a student during a classroom discussion, in a writing assignment for a class, or
as part of a University-approved research project.
Faculty members are obligated to report sexual violence or any other abuse of a
student who was, or is, a child (a person under 18 years of age) when the abuse
allegedly occurred to the Department of Human Services (1-800-932-0313) and
University Police (724-357-2141).
Information regarding the reporting of sexual violence and the resources that are
available to victims of sexual violence is set forth at:
http://www.iup.edu/socialequity/policies/title-ix/
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