BIOL 272 Microbial Ecology

Dr. Joan Slonczewski

Office: Bio 302

BIOL 272 Microbial Ecology

Spring Semester 2004

TR, 2:40-4:00PM
FSH 205

Microbes are organisms too small to be seen by the naked eye. Yet microbes define every ecosystem; indeed, Earth's upper atmosphere and subterranean depths contain microbes alone. Microbes produce and consume all our atmospheric nitrogen, and much of our oxygen and carbon dioxide. They rule human agriculture, mining, and oil pumping--and they can be applied to remediate environmental disasters. But other microbes emerge from their ecological niche to cause epidemics of disease. This course surveys the essential ecological roles of microbes in our biosphere, environmental management, and emergence of disease.

Under Construction
Syllabus

Date		Topic	Reading
Jan	20 22	Microbes in ecology: Hidden partners. Introduction Diversity -- prokaryotes PCR data for BLAST	Maier 1-25
Jan	27 29	Diversity--eukaryotes HIG 322 lab: Seeing microbes.	Maier 31-41 Maier 195-198
Feb	3 5	Earth and soil microbes; populations Airborne microbes; *Legionella*	Maier Ch. 4 Maier 91-100; 111-115; Atlas
Feb	10 12	Aquatic and marine microbes. Azam, Marine web Microbial growth and death	Maier 123-138 Maier 43-48; 213-221 4:15 Seminar, Salmonella
Feb	17 19	"Extreme" environments; Acid mines Cycles: Energy and Carbon, Methane	Maier 138-143; Marine report due. Maier 319-331
Feb	24 26	More Cycles: N, S, Fe, P Cycles and pollution	Maier 331-345; Nitrogen Maier 347-360
Mar	2 4	TEST 1 Bioremediation of Pollutants and RadWaste Cycad, USGS, Geobacter, Elements	Bioremediation
SPRING VACATION
Mar	23 25	Microbial Communities: Biofilms Agricultural microbiology	ASM; Kolter; Links Maier Ch. 18
Mar	30 1	Wetlands. Methane. Rice & Methane. Microbes in Animals; Rumen	Frenzel Human flora
Apr	6 8	Microbes in humans: Throat culture Influenza: Ducks, pigs, and Thanksgiving Break	Web Question TBA
Apr	13 15	Bubonic Plague: Rats, prairie dogs, and a mystery. SARS: From civet cats to church services.	The First Eagle; TBA TBA
April	20 22	Space Microbiology: From Mars to infinity -- "And beyond!" Azetidine Links TEST 2	The Children Star; TBA
April	27 29	Field Trip: Wastewater Plant Mycorrhizae--Fennessy, guest	Maier Ch. 21 Cantelmo
MAY May	4 6	Field Trip: Wetland Web Presentations.	Web development Web Due.

Prerequisites. A semester of introductory biology or chemistry is required.

Required Reading:
Raina M Maier et al, 2000, Environmental Microbiology, Academic Press, San Diego.
Class network directory: p:\data\biology\Biol272\
Articles on network, and handouts in class, including those newly assigned.
All reading assignments must be completed before the date indicated on the syllabus.

Class hours. Class starts promptly at 2:40 pm. in FSH 205.
Due dates. All assignments are due and tests must be taken on the dates stated.
Attendance and participation. 100% attendance is expected. Students must participate in discussion.
Reports and quizzes. Each student makes several short reports to class. There are quizzes on the reading. There are no make-ups for unexcused absences.
Final Project. A Web project is created, equivalent in effort to a 10-15 page paper. The project must address a specific current research question in microbial ecology. For all projects, the question, description, and references must be approved by the instructor (see syllabus for date.) Note: With permission, this project may be constructed in a language other than English. A dual language version earns extra credit.

Grade determination 20% Attendance and Participation
20% Reports & Quizzes
20% Test 1
20% Test 2
20% Web research project

Tests. Tests 1 and 2 are in class. There is no final exam.
Academic Honesty. All rules and standards stated in the Student Handbook apply.
Learning Disabilities. The Coordinator of Disability Services must be consulted for special arrangements.

Links
BIOL 5099 Environmental Microbiology
Chapin
Pace