Course Description
Students will learn core biology and microbiology concepts and microbiology lab techniques through laboratory exercises on plant disease and plant-associated bacteria designed to be conducted off-campus with minimal specialized equipment. Students will isolate local strains of endemic plant-associated bacteria and conduct a series of linked microbiology laboratory exercises to characterize their isolates.
Athena Title
Plant Micro Lab Online
Non-Traditional Format
This course will be taught 95% or more online.
Corequisite
PATH 1103E
Semester Course Offered
Offered summer semester every odd-numbered year.
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Course Objectives
• Students will be able to accurately explain core biology and microbiology concepts to their peers in simple terms. • Students will demonstrate competency in basic aseptic/microbiology techniques used in the laboratory exercises. • Students will be able to interpret experimental results. • Students will be able to deconstruct the components of an experimental design.
Topical Outline
Differential and selective media/sterile technique: Example exercise, isolation of Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae from ornamental pear trees, or related species. Plant pathogenicity testing: Example exercise, Hypersensitive Response (HR) in cabbage leaves. Mutation and antibiotic resistance: Example exercise, spontaneous and UV (sunlight) induced rifampicin resistance mutations. Koch’s postulates and plant disease resistance: Example exercise, infection of susceptible and resistant bean plants, recovery of bacteria in pure culture, reinfection of bean plants. Microscopy and bacterial motility: Example exercise, visualization of infected plant tissue and bacterial motility with a foldscope. Biological ice nucleation: Example exercise, rapid nucleation of ice in supercooled water by plant pathogenic bacteria.
Syllabus