Bacteriophage Discovery

Catalog description

This course is designed to immerse students in fundamental biological concepts and scientific reasoning through original, hypothesis-driven research. As part of the Howard Hughes Medical Institutes SEA-PHAGES (Science Education Alliance-Phage Hunters Advancing Genomics and Evolutionary Science) research team, students will engage in hands-on molecular techniques to discover, propagate, and characterize bacteriophages isolated from soil samples across diverse biomes. They'll also sharpen their scientific communication skills by maintaining a laboratory notebook and presenting their findings in a final poster project. This unique opportunity allows students to explore novel bacteriophages while learning key concepts in molecular biology, microbiology, and evolution through practical experiments. The course includes a mix of lectures and lab work. Prerequisites: BSC 303 Cell Biology with a grade of C or more.