General Microbiology (BIO 3401)
Instructor:
Donna Janes, Ph.D.
MWF 2-2:50 Fall, 2006
Office Hours-BETO 227: MWF 9-10, Thursday 1-4.
Phone: office 486-1241 , home 963-9744
e-mail: donna.janes@concordia.edu
Textbooks:
Prescott, Lansing M., Microbiology, 6th ed., The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.,
New York, New York.
Harley, John P., Laboratory Exercises to Accompany Microbiology, 6th ed., The
McGraw-Hill Companies, New York, New York.
Course Objectives:
a. Be able to discuss the history of microbiology and recognize the major contributions
microbiology has made to the field of biology.
b. Be able to identify and characterize bacteria, algae, fungi, protozoa, and viruses as
microorganisms.
c. Be able to describe the characteristics of microbial growth.
d. Understand the basic biochemistry of microbial metabolism and how the nutritional
and environmental requirements for the growth of microorganisms are determined by
the biochemical pathways.
e. Understand basic microbial genetics.
f. Understand the basic molecular biology of microorganisms and recognize how
genetic engineering is simply being able to manipulate normal cellular processes.
g. Understand the basis of controlling microorganisms using chemical and physical
means.
h. Be able to describe the interactions between microbe and host leading to disease.
i. Understand basic principles of immunology, the practical applications of
immunological function, and some disorders in immunity.
j. Be familiar with important diseases caused by bacteria, fungi, protists, and viruses in
humans.
k. Recognize the ecological role and economic importance of microorganisms.
l. Develop attitudes and behaviors leading to healthier living.
m. Know how to safely handle microorganisms in the laboratory.
n. Develop laboratory skills such as culturing, staining, observing and identifying
microorganisms.
Grading: The student’s grade will be determined based on exams, quizzes, homework
assignments, journal abstracts, and laboratory assignments.
Exams - There will be four regular exams, each worth 100 points and one
comprehensive final exam worth 200 points. No make-up exams will be given. For preapproved absences, the final exam grade will replace the grade of the missed exam.
Homework Assignments - There will be three homework assignments each worth 100
points for a total of 300 points.
Laboratory assignments - Attendance is required for all labs. Only pre-approved
absences will be allowed, at the complete discretion of the instructor. Laboratory
assignments will include lab write-ups and questions.
Grade Breakdown:
Exams
Final
Homework
4 x 100
1 x 200
100 x 3
400 pts
200 pts
300 pts
Lab Participation and Post-lab work
(Unknowns lab worth 2 labs)
12 x 25
300 pts
Total Points
1200 pts
Homework Projects: Topics must be pre-approved by the instructor
Approval Dates are the last day in which you may get your topic approved.
All projects must have references. More complete details will be given to you
about each project as the approval date approaches.
Topic/Project
Write a two page abstract, using references,
on an aspect of microbial metabolism, your
paper can also be on a human pathway
disease that has been studied in a microbial
system.
Students will work in pairs to give a 15
minute talk focusing on either genetics of a
microorganism, or the immunological
response in relation to a particular
organism.
Individuals will write and design questions
based on readings and lecture and place
them on note cards. Put the question on the
front and the answer on the back.
For maximum points, three questions per
lecture will be generated. Put your name
and the date in the upper right hand corner.
Place a rubber band around your note cards
and turn them in at the beginning of each
lecture period.
No questions will be due on Exam days or
days immediately following exams.
Purpose
Students will learn to use a multitude
of reference sources. They will also
gain experience in data
interpretation, scientific writing, and
will gain an appreciation for the
microbial environment.
The student will have a better
understanding of the relationship
between humans and
microorganisms. They will also gain
experience in accurately
communicating the most important
aspects of current research.
The purpose of this exercise is to
encourage you to keep up with the
work, read your text, and to
understand what aspects of the
material are important. Generating
your own questions enables you to
understand material at a higher
level.
You will get 1.1 point per card. There
are 90 possible cards, so everyone
gets 1 free point.
Dates
Approve:
9/22
Due: 9/29
Approve:
10/23
Due:
11/1&
11/3
Ongoing
Starts8/30
Donna Janes General Microbiology Lecture
BIO3401
Date
8-25
Topic Covered
Class Introduction/history of micro
Mon, Wed, Fri 3:00-3:50
Assigned
Assignments due
Reading
Chapter 1
8-28
8-30
9-1
History of microbiology
Scope of microbiology; Taxonomy
Procaryotic cells
Chapter 1
Chapters 19
Chapter 3
9-4
9-6
9-8
LABOR DAY (no class)
Eucaryotic cells
Microbial nutrition
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
9-11
9-13
9-15
Microbial nutrition
Microbial growth
EXAM # 1
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
9-18
9-20
9-22
Microbial metabolism
Microbial metabolism
Microbial metabolism
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 9
Abstract approval
9-25
9-27
9-29
Microbial metabolism
Viruses
Bacteriophage
Chapter 10
Chapter 16, 18
Chapter 17
Metabolism Abstract
10-2
10-4
10-6
Bacteria
Fungi & Molds
Algae
Index
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
10-9
10-11
10-13
Protozoa
Exam # 2
Genetics
Chapter 27
10-16
10-18
10-20
Genetics
Genetics
Immunology
Chapter 12,13
Chapter 14
Chapter 31
Last drop day
10-23
Immunology
Chapter 31,32
Presentation approval
First cards due
Chapter 11
Date
10-25
10-27
Immunology
Immunology
10-30
11-1
11-3
Pathogenicity of microorganisms
In class presentations
In class presentations
11-6
11-8
11-10
Exam # 3
Human diseases/bacterial
Human diseases/bacterial
Chapter 39
Chapter 39
11-13
11-15
11-17
Human diseases/ viral
Human diseases/ viral
Human diseases/ fungi and protozoa
Chapter 38
Chapter 38
Chapter 40
11-20
11-24
THANKSGIVING BREAK
11-27
It’s time to play…….. Name That Microbial
Disease!
Name that disease continued
Exam # 4
11-29
12-1
Topic Covered
Assigned
Reading
Chapter 32
Chapter 32
12-4
Industrial microbiology
12-6
Industrial microbiology
12-8
What is in the news: AIDS/Prions
Dec 11-15th Final Exam Week
Assignments due
Chapter 34
Presentation
Presentation
EXAM
Bring Exam 4
notecards
Chapter 42
Chapter 42
Handout
Journals can be found in the following way:
 Physical journals in the library
 Physical journals in the UT library (much more extensive)
 Journals posted on the web:
For online access to journals at any time use the following. Easiest is probably to enter through
the Concordia library web site because it has the buttons right there to click on, otherwise you
can use the URL of the index you wish.
To find things on-line at the Concordia website: 1) Go to Concordia’s homepage 2) click
on current students 3) click on library. Now that you are in the system you can chose
either EBSCO or Info Trac. For EBSCO, make sure you check the box that says full text
and the one that says scholarly (peer reviewed) journals. You also want to choose
Periodical under publication type. For Infotrac, chose Infotrac onefile, then check the
boxes for articles with text and the box that says refereed publications.
You may also be able to find some journal articles through a simple search on the web.
Just be sure as to the credibility of the author.
 Any sites with a .gov or .edu extension are usually safe.
 Watch out for sites selling items. Claims may not be based on scientific information.
ASM - American Society for Microbiology
http://www.asmusa.org/
Society for General Microbiology
http://www.socgenmicrobiol.org.uk/links.htm
National Science Foundation
http://www.nsf.gov/
US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
http://www.epa.gov/
All the Virology on the WWW
http://www.virology.net/
Medical Microbiology
CDC - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention http://www.cdc.gov/
Morbidity and Mortality weekly Report http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/
WHO - World Health Organization
http://www.who.int/en/
Emerging Infectious Diseases http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/EID/index.htm
FDA - Food And Drug Administration
http://www.fda.gov/
The “Bad Bug Book” - Foodborne Pathogenic Microorganisms and Natural Toxins
http://vm.cfsan.fda.gov/~mow/intro.html
National Institutes of Health http://www.nih.gov/
MedWeb Search for specific diseases and conditions and receive a listing of further web
resources on the topic.
http://www.medweb.emory.edu/MedWeb/
Molecular Genetics and Biotechnology
National Center for Biotechnical Information Includes links to GenBank, the NIH genetic
sequence database that collects all known DNA sequences. Also contains PubMed, a
really good database for searching medical journals.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/
Institute for Genomic Research The TIGR Microbial Database provides links to worldwide genome sequencing projects completed and projects underway, including the
completed TIGR genomes.
http://www.tigr.org/
Genetic Engineering News
Molecular Biology Gateway
http://www.genengnews.com/
http://www.horizonpress.com/gateway/
Academic Integrity: I operate under the assumption that all students are trustworthy. A
violation of the trust which I have placed in you such as cheating on an exam or quiz,
submitting work that is not your own, plagiarizing the work of someone else is taken very
seriously. You may certainly discuss aspects of the class with your fellow students but
the work that you turn in must be your own. On the first offense, the penalty will be a 0
grade on that assignment plus the automatic lowering of the course grade by one letter
after final tabulations are completed. The second breach of honesty will result in a
failing grade in the course and referral to the Vice-President of Student Services to be
handled according to the policy in the Student Handbook.