Microbiology

Catalog description

This is an introductory Microbiology course taken in the Fall Semester of the student’s first or second year of graduate study. It strikes an appropriate balance between microbiological fundamentals and medical/research applications. It also provides a foundation in microbiology for those students planning to pursue advanced degrees. There are three sections to this course: I. Fundamentals of Microbiology. This section includes a brief history, methods used to observe microorganisms, and a study of microbial cell anatomy, metabolism, growth and genetics. II. A survey of the Microbial World, including classifications of Eukaryotes, Prokaryotes, Viruses, Viriods, and Prions. III. Interaction between the Microbe and host, including principle of disease and epidemiology, mechanisms of pathogenicity, innate and adaptive immunity, immunology and antimicrobial drugs. Although this course assumes no previous study of biology chemistry, a basic understanding of DNA, RNA, and proteins is recommended.