Although often unseen, microbes are everywhere! This course provides an overview of the beneficial and harmful roles played by microbes, including viruses, archaea, bacteria, protists and fungi. We will examine microbes in terrestrial, marine, and extreme environments and discuss their functions in ecosystem health and climate change. In addition, we will explore the profound effects of microbes on the course of history through their effects on agriculture and human health.

For decades, students have primarily learned about microbes as disease-causing agents. Studies of the human microbiome have ignited interest in the beneficial functions of microbes, and PMB 22 seeks to present a balanced, evidence-based view of the variety of roles that microbes play in animal/human and ecosystem health. PMB 22 will emphasize fundamental concepts and tools in microbiology, molecular biology, and biochemistry, along with foundational information about all classes of microbes (viruses, bacteria, archaea, fungi, and other eukaryotic microbes) through concrete examples of microbial interactions with humans, other mammals, insects, plants and other microbes, in addition to the role of microbes in ecosystem health. Each lecture or topic will include information on how scientists have learned what we know. We will discuss steps in the scientific method, the development of scientific questions, hypothesis testing, and the interpretation of experimental results. We aim to instill a sense of curiosity and wonder about the microbial world while fostering critical thinking skills that can be applied to real-world situations involving scientific claims.

Repeat Rules

Course is not repeatable for credit.

Requirements class fulfills