General Microbiology, Biology 251 Fall, 2011
Syllabus Great BasinCollege
Professor: Pete BagleyOffice: Lundberg Hall 128B
Email:
Phone: 753-2229
Office Hours: Mon, Tues,Thurs, 2:00-3:00;
Wed,1:00-3:00; and by appointment.
Lecture Reading Assignments and Exam Dates
ChapterTopic
1Introduction
3Microscopy
4Functional Anatomy of Cells
5Microbial Metabolism
6Microbial Growth
Exam I, Wednesday, Sept21
7Control of Microbial Growth
8Microbial Genetics
9Recombinant DNA and Biotechnology
10Classification
11Prokaryotes
12Eukaryotic Microbes
Exam II, Wednesday, Oct 19
13Viruses
14Disease and Epidemiology
15Pathogenicity
16Nonspecific Host Defenses
17Immune Response
18Applications of Immunology
Exam III, Monday, Nov 14
19Immune System Disorders
20Antimicrobial Drugs
21 - 26Selected Pathogens & Diseases
27Environmental Microbiology
28Applied Microbiology
Final Exam, Monday, Dec 12
Reading assignments and exam dates are tentative, and may be changed at the discretion of the instructor. Any changes will be announced in class.
Text: Microbiology, an Introduction. 10th ed. Tortora, Funke, & Case.
Lab Manual: MicrobiologyLaboratory Theory & Application, Brief Edition. 2008 Leboffe & Pierce.
Grading System and Policies:
The grade for this course will be based on two components: performance in lecture; and laboratory. They will be weighted 70% for the lecture, and 30% for the lab.
The lecture grade will be based on four, one hour exams, worth 100 points each. These exams are not comprehensive.
The lab grade will be based on two practical exams worth 100 points each;Four reports worth 20 points each; A Lab Notebook must be maintained for 20 points; Finally, 20 points of the lab total will be based on my technical evaluation of your proficiency in the laboratory. Staining, aseptic technique, use and care of equipment, are some of the factors that will be judged. Excessive tardiness/absences and careless behavior will also be factored into the technical evaluation.
Attendance in lab is mandatory, there will be no make up labs.
The grading scale is as follows:
90 - 100% = A
80 - 89% = B
70 - 79% = C
60 - 69% = D
> 60% = F
All exams and lab practicals will be held on the dates listed in the syllabus. Any changes to that schedule will be announced in class well in advance. Missing an exam due to personal reasons or illness must be approved in advance if possible, or by contacting me within 24 hours of the exam in the case of emergency. Make up exams will be allowed and scheduled at my discretion.
Lab practicals are difficult to set up. As a result, make up lab practicals will only be scheduled in unusual circumstances. In these cases the format of the exam may change. Do not miss lab practicals!
Attendance will not be taken, but be advised: Regular attendance is the single most important thing you can do to get and maintain a good grade.
This syllabus does not in any way represent a contract. It is a reflection of the intent of the instructor, but do recognize that it is an organic construct that may change as the semester progresses. Any changes will be announced in class.
WebCampus
The syllabus and lab excercises based on handouts are posted on WebCampus. Should you loose your syllabus, it is always available there. Lab handouts should be printed out before coming to that lab! I will not be checking the WebCampus email utility. Should you need to email me, please use my regular GBC address:
Lab Schedule
Lab # Date__Exercise Topic
1Aug 29Introduction
1-3Aseptic Method of Transfer
3-1Microscope
Pages 145-147Bacterial Shapes
No LabSept5
2Sept123-4Simple Stains
3-6Gram Stain
3-7Acid-Fast Stain
Demo Slides: Flagella; Endospore;Capsule
3Sept191-2Preparing Culture Media
1-4Streak Plates
2-3Agar Slants
2-4Broth Cultures
2-2Colony Morphology (read only)
4Sept264-1Mannitol Salt Agar
4-6Mac Conkey Agar
2-8Effects of Temperature
2-10Osmotic Effects
2-6O2 - Fluid Thioglycollate
2-7O2 - Anaerobe Jar
5Oct35-2Acid and Gas Production
From Fermentation
5-11Degradation of Polysaccharides
5-14Degradation of Protein
5-16Hydrolysis of Lipids
6Oct 105-3Methyl-Red & Voges-Proskauer Tests
5-7Differential Utilization of Citrate
HandoutIndole Production
7-2Antibiotic Evaluation
Oct 17Lab Exam I
Lab Schedule
Lab # DateExercise Topic
7Oct 24HandoutUnknown Identification
5-4Catalase Activity
5-21Coagulase
5-20Hemolysis of Red Blood Cells
HandoutLitmus milk
8Oct 317-1Snyder Test
HandoutEffects of Handwashing
9Nov77-6Detecting Coliforms in Water
7-3Plaque Assay
10Nov 147-6Detecting Coliforms in Water
8-2UV
11Nov 218-3 Transformation
12Nov 28Hand outEukaryotic Microbes
Dec 5Lab Exam II
Always read the lab exercise ahead of time. Knowing the procedure allows the excise to go more smoothly and quickly.
Note: Handouts for Labs 6, 7 & 8 will be posted at WebCampus. It is your responsibility to print them before the lab meets!
Important: Lab is scheduled on Mondays, but many exercises will require that observations be taken on cultures within 48 hours. This will require your coming into lab on Tuesday/or Wednesday to make those observations.
Lab Reports
There will be 4 lab reports to complete for this course. The reports must be typed, double spaced. The reports should follow the following outline:
Introduction Give the background to the topic. Why is it important? Briefly explain what you are going to do in the experiment (i.e., state the Objective of the experiment).
Procedures Explain what organisms, materials and methods were used in the experiments. How did you do it?
Results Present the results. Point out key or unexpected results.
Conclusion What was the significance of your results? Explain the importance of the experiment, and whether or not your outcome was inconsistent with what was expected.
Tables, graphs, etc. may be helpful. Do not remove pages from your manual. While this is not an English class, bear in mind that correct grammar and spelling are important, and deductions will be made for excessive mistakes in these areas.
Note that one of the write ups are based on more than one exercise. This does not mean that you should write a report for each exercise, rather, the exercises chosen are thematically related. So the report should blend the topics into a single report.
AssignmentDate Due______
1Stains and StainingMondaySept26
(Ex 3-4, 3-6, & 3-7)
2Antibiotic EvaluationMonday Oct 24
(Ex 7-2)
3Hand Washing ExperimentMonday Nov21
4Identification of UnknownMonday Dec5
Lab Notebook
Keeping an accurate permanent record of lab activities is at the heart of science. Random notes on scraps of paper are a guarantee of confusion and poor performance. Use a single bound notebook, a composition book or spiral bound is fine. Remember that your lab notebook will be exposed to many microbes and chemical reagents, so keeping it separate from your lecture notes is a very good idea. Your notebook should contain enough detail so that another person could understand and repeat your work. Proceedures that you will use repeatedly (gram stains, MR-VP, etc)are good to have in your notebook. Make your notes as you go along, don’t try to reconstruct details from memory. In some cases amounts, volumes, and calculations are essential things to record. A notebook is a good place to sketch out graphs or tables before writing up your lab reports. Key observations such as reactions of specific microbes to stains or metabolic tests can be quite useful when working on your unknown microbe. Do not rewrite your notes to make them ‘prettier.’ Science is a messy process!
Extra Credit
Extra credit points are available for anyone with the energy and courage to take advantage of them. Up to 20 points can be added to your lecture score by writing a brief, informal research paper on one of the following diseases, and then presenting a summary to the class. The oral presentation does not affect the grading, but is a means of sharing interesting and curious information. The paper should be approximately 4 pages long, typed, double spaced with no typos or grammatical errors.
Dread Diseases:
Hepatitis B or C
SARS
Cholera
Typhoid Fever
Tetanus
Genital Herpes
AIDS/HIV
Gonorrhea
Elephantiasis
Syphilis
Chlamydia
Anthrax
Influenza
Yellow Fever
West Nile Fever
Dengue Fever
Necrotizing fasciitis
Ebola/Hemorrhagic Fever
Beaver Fever
Viral Meningitis
Tuberculosis
E. coli Food Poisoning
Brucellosis
‘Mad Cow Disease’/Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy
Hanta virus
Small Pox
Monkey Pox
Polio
Measles
MRSA
Catalog Description:
BIOL 251 General Microbiology (4) A laboratory and lecture course emphasizing taxonomy, morphology, physiology, infectious diseases, and ecology of microorganisms in addition to skills in aseptic procedures, isolation, and identification. Open to all life science majors and allied health majors. Prerequisite: BIOL 190 or equivalent.
Course Objectives:
- To provide a strong basis of microbiological knowledge including: the characteristics and classification of microbes; microbial metabolism; microbes and disease; molecular genetics; and interactions between microbes and the environment.
- In the laboratory component, students will acquire a working knowledge of sterile techniques, media preparation, staining, microbial metabolism, and the isolation and identification of microbes. This knowledge base will be directly applied to the analysis of a variety of hands
Course Outcomes:
Students will be able to apply knowledge and skills gained in a variety of situations: use of aseptic technique in clinical and laboratory environments; identification of unknown organisms; evaluation of risks associated with a variety of pathogenic microbes; comprehension of molecular genetics and biotechnology;
of the basic factual content of biology, including relevant principles of chemistry, physics, and geology. Beyond this factual base, students will be expected to comprehend this information sufficiently to analyze and evaluate simple biologic situations that have not been directly explicated in lecture or laboratory.
Course assessment:
Students will be assessed with three distinct tools: multiple choice lecture exams; laboratory practical exams; and a written report on a laboratory experience. The lecture exams are designed to test the students ability to recall matters stated in lecture and the text, define key terms, and use concepts in a meaningful way. Laboratory practicals will asses both visual and textural recall, as well as provide the opportunity for analysis and evaluation of concepts introduced in lab with lecture information. The lab report will asses how well students have comprehended and synthesized a key laboratory experience, as well as their ability to communicate these concepts via the written word.
Accommodations for Students with Disabilities:
Great BasinCollege is committed to providing equal educational opportunities to qualified students with disabilities in accordance with state and federal laws and regulations, including the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. A qualified student must furnish current verification of disability. The Director of Services for Students with Disabilities (Julie G. Byrnes) will assist qualified students with disabilities in securing the appropriate and reasonable accommodations, auxiliary aids and services. For more information or further assistance, please call 775-753-2271.