Course Description
Presents foundational concepts across microbiology and challenges students to use these concepts in problem-solving and literature critiques.
Athena Title
Foundations of Microbiology
Semester Course Offered
Offered spring
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Course Objectives
Students who complete the course will be able to: 1. describe the basic mechanisms that govern microbial physiology and replication; 2. describe the mechanistic features of transcription, translation, and secretion; 3. explain how cellular mechanisms are altered through interactions within microbial communities, biofilms, infected host tissues, and ecological environments; 4. apply the knowledge of microbes to evaluate scientific literature and the context of current research; and 5. extend current research to identify driving questions and approaches for the future.
Topical Outline
1. Molecular Machines and Behavior of Macromolecules • Replication and DNA repair • Transcription (including genetic and epigenetic regulation) • Translation • Post-translational modifications • Protein sorting (secretory pathways) • Compartments and protective layers (cell membranes, cell walls, surface, and carbohydrates) • Regulation by (or cellular roles of) RNA (mRNAs, lncRNAs, RNAi, and CRISPR) 2. Physiology, Metabolism, and Regulation • Cofactors, bioenergetics, and respiration • Catabolism, fermentation, and building blocks • Physiological diversity (i.e., N2 fixation, CO2 fixation, and photosynthesis) • Secondary metabolism (the power of microbes) • Adaptive physiology I: Response to stresses • Adaptive physiology II: Nutrient acquisition 3. Microbial Interactions and Communities • Biofilms and microbiomes • Host-microbe relationships (commensals and symbiosis) • Ecology (relationship between three domains of life, viruses, and environment) • Community responses to changing environments • Host-pathogen interactions I (host defenses – adaptive and innate) • Host-pathogen interactions II (microbial virulence factors)
Syllabus