ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY
Date
W Aug 27
F Aug 29
W Sept 3
F Sept 5
W Sep 10
F Sep 12
W Sep 17
F Sep 19
W Sep 24
F Sep 26
W Oct 1
F Oct 3
W Oct 8
F Oct 10
W Oct 15
F Oct 17
W Oct 22
F Oct 24
W Oct 29
F Oct 31
W Nov 5
F Nov 7
W Nov 12
F Nov 14
W Nov 19
F Nov 21
W Nov 26
F Nov 28
M Dec 1
W Dec 3
F Dec 5
Topic 2008
Intro
Phylogeny Terms
16S rRNA and Diversity
Species/OTU/LGT
Microbiology Genomics Age
Redox and TEAPs
Energetics and Metabolism
Proposal Preparation
Fermentation
Methanogenesis
Microbial Loop
Phage
Predation
Social microbes
Review and catch up
Exam 1
Community structure
Community structure
Marine Microbiology
Deep subsurface
Extracellular respiration
‘extreme’ adaptations
Invertebrate mutualism
Human microbiome
Built Environment
Disease ecology
No class
No class
Report Due 5pm
Final Review
Exam 2
Microbiology 5155 Fall 2013
Due Dates
Class Notes
Phylogeny Exercise
Redox Exercise
Genomics HW 1 Ebola Due
Wiki organism topic due
Phylogenetic tree HW2 exercise due
Genomics Exercise
GL: R. Daly
Redox problem HW3 set due
HW 4 exam review questions
Community Exercise
Draft Tree Due
Water HW6 Community Structure
Draft Report Due
HW 7 Due
GL: V Varaljay
GL: MJ Wilkins
Extracellular exercise
GL: Z. Sabree
HW8 Due
Reviews Due
HW 9 Due
Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving
Syllabus subject to change without prior notice.
GL: Guest Lecture
Writing assignments and Exams are shown in bold with yellow
Homework assignments are shown under Due Dates in Red Text
GL: B. Wolfe
Environmental Microbiology 5155
Instructor:
Dr. Kelly Wrighton 440 Bioscience
e-mail: wrighton.1@osu.edu (best way to contact me)
office hours: M 2-3 pm, F 930-1030 am
Lecture time/location: WF 8-9:20 –Campbell Hall 0309
Course objective/goals: The course will cover the ecology and physiology of microbes and their
relationship with each other and the environment. Ecological concepts and tools used in
environmental microbial research will be introduced during the first half of the semester. The
second half of the semester will use different model systems to articulate relevance of these
microbial processes to ecosystem function.
Grading:
30% Midterm 1
30% Midterm 2
20% Writing Project: Wiki page and phylogeny on organism of your choice
15% Assignments and Quizzes
5% Participation in class assignments
Problem sets will be assigned and must be turned in at the beginning of class the day they are due.
Late assignments will not be accepted, not even for a partial credit.
Rubric will be handed out separately for the Writing Final Project no later than the third week of
class. A large part of success in science is being able to communicate your research orally and
written. This writing assignment will be broken down into subsections, which will be reviewed by
two of your classmates and myself. This draft-feedback-revise schedule is to help you learn to think
critically about evaluating science, and incorporating reviewers comments.
Academic integrity. There will be no make-up exams unless prior arrangements are made.
Academic misconduct will not be tolerated- this includes cheating on an exam or plagiarizing
another students work or outside literature. Assignments are due prior to class on the due date listed
on the syllabus, with submissions via Carmen. http://studentaffairs.osu.edu/csc/
Announcements: students are responsible for announcements made in class, available on the
course’s website or sent by e-mail.
Disabled students, athletes, religious creed accommodations: Check the course schedule and
contact the instructor over email or during office hours. Students with documented disabilities
should contact Office of Disability Services to coordinate accommodations.
http://www.ods.osu.edu/
Required reading: there is no textbook. Required readings include papers posted on course’s
website and handouts. The major electronic access points for the course will be Carmen. You
will be expected to access this site in order to prepare for class. This includes posting lectures,
reading assignments, and turning in homework.
Advice:
i) Pre-class assignments are required.
ii) All reading assignments must be done prior to class. A large component of this class is
primary literature. You will often be required to discuss in groups the assigned papers
for 15 minutes with written/oral exercises. It is my hope that class sessions are where we
come together to engage on the material together. Your education will be initiated by
you (through readings and pre-class videos). In the class room I will use exercises,
discussions with your colleagues, written exercises, and lectures by me to build on
concepts. This is how science happens in the real-world. It is my goal that you learn to
critically evaluate material, engage other scientists (from different backgrounds), and
express your ideas purposefully on paper and verbally.
iii) At home problem sets are designed to help you review and prepare for exams. These are
assigned for your benefit (not mine!). These questions are designed to prepare you for
the exam (and my grading expectations)- short answer and thought questions.
iv) It is my hope that this class session builds community, fosters teamwork, and investment
into the material, and encourages you to think a bit differently than you did prior.