Syllabus: MCB 208

Department of Biological Sciences
College of Science and Mathematics

I. Course Title: MCB 208- Microbial Techniques
II. Course Credit: 3 units; 2hours lecture/week, 3hours laboratory/week
III. Course Description: A series of laboratory projects employing current techniques used in the isolation and characterization of macromolecular constituents of prokaryotic cells, cover the ecology of microorganisms in the natural environment, use basic ecology, basic microbiology and the things that are more specific to microbial ecologist. The first part is a general introduction to bacteriology, energy metabolism, genetics and regulatory mechanisms as they pertain to environment, geological cycle and other functional activities. Mycology is organized into discussion of morphology, physiological and nutritional requirements and their role in geological cycle. Study of virology is focused on the composition and classification of viruses involved in viral infection of marine organisms. transcription and the effects of chemical and physical agents on viruses. The topics on parasitology provide specific information regarding the recognition of signs & symptoms of parasitic disease, etiology and diagnostic techniques for marine organisms. Selected topics that are especially important like chemotherapy, bioassay and immunology are also explored with particular reference to the problems associated with overuse of antibiotics. Course Introduction

IV. OBJECTIVES
1) To familiarize students with proper procedures for handling microorganism,
including spectroscopy, dilutions, plating and aseptic technique.
2) To introduce the methods for working micoorganismintroduce the students to the
many concepts embodied in different ecological systems.
3) To know the different functional groups of organisms and their role in
geomicrobiological cycle.
4) To identify the different requirements for growth and to describe the several
direct and indirect measurements of growth and categorize the different
nutritional patterns among organisms,
5) To describe the different methods of classification and identification of
microorganisms.
V. COURSE OUTLINE
1) History: Development of Microbiology & Techniques
2) Introduction to Microbial Techniques,Microscopy, Methods of Sterilization
3) Isolation of Pure Culture and Maintenance
4) Identification of Bacteria, Fixation and Staining, Biochemical Characteristics
5) Rapid Identification
6) Microbial Biomass Determining biomass
7) Disinfectants and Antibiotic Sensitivities
Phenol coefficient, Disc Diffusion and Tube dilution
8) Microscale (Ecology)
9) Novel DNA mimics-based methods
10)Monitoring water quality
11)Industrial Microbiology,Medical Microbiology, Bioremediation
12)Transfer of Genetic Material in Natural Populations, Release of Genetically
Modified Microorganisms,Genetic Engineering and Biotech,Biosafety
Grade Evaluations:
Your grade in this class will be based on your performance on two major exams, a review paper and a research paper using microbial techniques: biofilm, direct counts or functional groups (Winogradsky).
Exams: Each exam will be a combination of objective and essay questions. Essays will be graded on content, organization and clarity of communication. The grades will be based on a numerical scale from 0-100. This scale can be adjusted up on a curve with the mean class score representing a grade of 2.0, at my option. If you must miss an examination due to unavoidable circumstances, you must notify me in advance. If you miss the exam due to illness or personal emergency, please notify me within 24 hours of the exam. Exams must be made up as soon as possible.
Research report shall be in a scientific research paper paper format, including a cover page, introduction, materials and methods, results, discussion and references. Please see the attached handout "Writing Scientific Reports" for further information on writing lab reports and the attached handout "How to analyze and present data" for tips on making graphs and tables to present your data.

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