Environmental Microbiology

Catalog description

This course is an introduction to environmental microbiology and includes discussions of the structure, functional and metabolic diversity, genetics, and growth of microorganisms. The essential roles of microorganisms, especially the Bacteria and Archaea, in the environment are emphasized throughout, including their key function as drivers of nutrient cycling in all ecosystems. In addition, the endosymbiotic roles of microorganisms in living systems, including other microbes, plants, and animals, are discussed. Laboratory activities include sample collection, enrichment culture strategies, staining techniques, and characterization of isolates. Prerequisite of C or above in BIO-213/213L.