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Fungi: Friends and Foes

Course Description

Impact of fungi on human affairs. Historical and current uses of fungi by humans as well as the roles of fungi in various ecosystems.

Athena Title

Fungi Friends and Foes

Equivalent Courses

Not open to students with credit in PATH 3010E, PBIO 3010E

Prerequisite

[(BIOL 1103 or BIOL 1103E or BIOL 2103H) and BIOL 1103L] or [BIOL 1104 or BIOL 2104H) and BIOL 1104L] or [(BIOL 1107 or BIOL 1107E or BIOL 2107H) and BIOL 1107L] or [(BIOL 1108 or BIOL 2108H) and BIOL 1108L] or (PBIO 1220 and PBIO 1220L)

Semester Course Offered

Offered spring

Grading System

A - F (Traditional)

Student Learning Outcomes

  • Introduce students to the many ways that fungi influence their lives.
  • Upon successful completion of this course students should have a good understanding of the basic biology of fungi, their importance in various ecosystems and their direct and indirect impacts upon humans and human affairs.

Topical Outline

  • Introduction: course outline, requirements, testing, grading
  • Importance of fungi in ecosystems and an overview of their direct and indirect impacts on humans
  • Characteristics of fungi and a brief introduction to the major groups of fungi
  • Fungi as agents of decay
  • Ecology of wood rotting fungi and their use in industry and in bioremediation efforts
  • Historical uses of fungi by humans and the folklore of fungi
  • Use of hallucinogenic mushrooms in primitive cultures (i.e., ethnomycology)
  • Introduction to mushrooms and mushroom identification
  • Poisonous and edible mushrooms
  • Nutritional and medicinal values of edible mushrooms
  • Commercial production of edible mushrooms
  • Fungi as mutualists: mycorrhizae, lichens, endophytes, and fungus-insect relationships
  • Fungi as plant pathogens
  • The disease cycle and Koch's postulates
  • Late blight of potato: historical and current perspectives
  • Downy mildew of grapes and Bordeaux mixture
  • Ergot of rye and ergotism in humans and animals
  • Rust and smut fungi and their impacts on crops: historical and current perspectives
  • Introduced fungal pathogens: Dutch elm disease, chestnut blight, oak decline, karnal bunt
  • Southern leaf blight of corn and the hazards of monoculture
  • Control of fungal diseases of plants; introduction to fungicides and ecological concerns
  • Transgenic plants and disease resistance
  • Post-harvest diseases and an introduction to mycotoxins
  • Mycotoxins: historical and current perspectives
  • Fungi as biological control agents
  • Fungi as sources of antibiotics and the problem of antibiotic resistance
  • Biopharmaceutins of fungal origin
  • Fungi as human pathogens: introduction to medical mycology
  • Ringworm diseases, subcutaneous/systematic infections, yeast infections, fungi, and AIDS
  • Fungi and allergies: fungi and sick building syndrome
  • Introduction to fermentation: baking and brewing
  • Beer and wine making
  • Mushroom tea: fact versus fiction
  • Use of fungi in the production of meat substitutes
  • Fungi and cheese making
  • Fungi as experimental organisms
  • Industrially important fungi

Syllabus

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