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At the conclusion of this course, the student should be able to:
1. Outline the history of major microbiological discoveries and describe their contributions to world civilization.
2. State Koch's postulates and apply them to different types of pathogens and to new diseases.
3. Relate basic principles of chemistry and cell biology to structure and function of microbes.
4. Explain how the unity of basic cell processes contributes to difficulties in treating infectious disease.
5. Describe the principles and mechanisms of microbial genetics and coevolution and apply them to the problem of increasing drug resistance in microorganisms.
6. Describe viruses and their relation to cells.
7. Compare and evaluate the various mechanisms of control and prevention of microbial disease.
8. Discuss the mechanisms of pathogenicity in microbes.
9. Compare and contrast the epidemiology of community-acquired and hospital-acquired infections.
10. Describe the functions of the human immune system, its relations to disease, and how vaccination contributes to immunity.
11. Describe the etiology, epidemiology, treatment, and prevention of a variety of important infectious diseases.
12. Safely and aseptically perform a variety of microbiological laboratory techniques.
13. Collect and analyze data.
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I. Historical Development
A. Discovery of the microbial world and development of the microscope
B. Spontaneous generation vs. biogenesis
C. Koch's postulates
D. Contribution of microbiology to biochemistry and molecular biology
E. Contribution of microbiology to world civilization
II. Cell Biology
A. Chemistry and biochemistry review
B. Lipids, membranes, and transport
C. Nucleic acids and protein: structure, function, and flow of information
D. Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) synthesis and cell work
E. The eukaryotic cell: structure and function; endosymbiotic theory
F. The prokaryotic cell: structure and function
G. Comparison of bacteria and archaea
III. Antimicrobial Agents
A. Sterilization, disinfectants, and antiseptics
B. Antibiotics
1. Mode of action
2. Resistance mechanisms
IV. Microbial Genetics
A. Genome and phenotype
B. Mutation, selection, and adaptation
C. Horizontal gene transfer
1. Transformation
2. Conjugation
3. Transduction
D. Relation to virulence and antibiotic resistance
V. Viruses
A. Definitions and historical background
B. Interactions with cells
C. Viral diseases of importance
VI. Ecological Principles
A. The human as ecosystem
B. Symbiosis
C. Impact on model of infectious disease
VII. Infectious Disease
A. Role of microbiome
B. Mechanisms of pathogenicity
C. Epidemiology
D. Role of the host in disease
1. Innate resistance
2. Acquired resistance
E. Vaccination, prevention, and treatment
F. Specific diseases of the human population
VIII. Applied Microbiology
A. Modern biotechnology
B. Environmental microbiology
1. Wastewater treatment
2. Antibiotic isolation
3. Environmental sampling and analysis
C. The role of hospital and public health laboratories
D. Fermentation applications
IX. Laboratory Exercises
A. Laboratory safety and sanitation
B. Laboratory techniques
1. Aseptic technique
2. Bacterial cultures (liquid and solid medium)
3. Microscopy and staining techniques
4. Preparation and sterilization of media
5. Analyses of bacteria in water, soil, and the community at large
6. Antibiotic sensitivity
7. Metabolic tests and bacterial identification
8. Bacterial mutagenesis
9. Transformation
10. Polymerase chain reaction and gel electrophoresis
11. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)
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Microbiology: An Introduction. 13th ed. Tortora, Gerard, Funke, Berdell and Case, Christine. Pearson. 2019.
Microbiology: A Systems Approach. 6th ed. Cowan, Marjorie. McGraw-Hill. 2021.
Microbiology: A Photographic Atlas for the Laboratory. Alexander, Steven and Strete, Dennis. Pearson. 2001 (classic).
Instructor prepared lab manual