Applied and Environmental Microbiology

Catalog description

Using the context of microbial ecology, students will investigate ecological and evolutionary processes that generate, maintain, and perturb biodiversity in urban and rural, biotic and abiotic environments. Students will be introduced to contemporary ecology practices including computer-based simulations, statistics, and modeling, as well as modern microbiological molecular and sequencing approaches. Students will examine microbial ecosystem structure and processes in a variety of habitats, including soils, oceans, and the human gut, and engage in research and experiments to demonstrate concepts in microbial diversity and transmission. Ethical considerations will be introduced along with the concepts of sustainability and bioremediation, environmental justice, and environmental ethics, as well as challenges and opportunities. Concepts will be reinforced with in-class assignments, experiments and activities, case studies and discussions, and students evaluated by quizzes, experiment write-ups, team projects, discussion of the primary literature, and online exams.