Eukaryotic Microbiology

Catalog description

P: BIOL 43700 with grade of C- or better, and departmental approval required. This upper-level course examines the origin, evolution, and diversity of major eukaryotic microbial groups including algae, fungi, and parasites (protozoans and helminths). Lecture topics include recent classification and taxonomic schemes, ecology of important lineages, and relevance to wildlife, animals and humans. Eukaryotic microbes are considered as the primary cause of human diseases throughout the world. We will analyze the complex life cycle of pathogenic fungi and parasites. We will also examine some of the Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) that are a group of diseases causing significant problems often resulting in death in more than 1 billion people worldwide. We will discuss the origin and transmission patterns of fungal and parasitic diseases as well as evolutionary and ecological approaches that are now crucial to much research in the area of infectious diseases.