4.00 Credits
Survey course aimed primarily at students interested in the life sciences, including biology and biochemistry, medical fields (pre-medical, pre-dental, pre-vet, pre-pharmacy, pre-physician's assistant, pre-optometry), biotechnology and bioengineering, as well as the environmental sciences. Covers microbial classification, morphology, growth, reproduction, metabolism, and molecular genetics in comparison with multicellular eukaryotes. Students will examine interactions between humans and microorganisms, including infectious diseases, biotechnology, applied microbiology, and environmental microbiology. In the laboratory, students will learn how to isolate, culture, and identify bacteria. They will also investigate phenomena such as microbial fermentation, bacteriophages, antibiotic resistance, transformation, disinfection, water and food safety testing, and viral infectivity. This course includes three (3) hours of lecture and three (3) hours of laboratory each week.