Microbiology
Undergraduate · Biology
Syllabus focus
Topics typically covered
Standard syllabus
Microbial world
- Taxonomy and diversity of bacteria, archaea, fungi, protists, viruses
- Cell envelopes, appendages, and staining logic
- Microbial growth curves and environmental factors
- Metabolism: fermentation, respiration, photosynthesis survey
- Biofilms and microbial communities (intro)
- Microbiomes of hosts and environments
Genetics and control
- Horizontal gene transfer mechanisms
- Plasmids, phages, and CRISPR in microbes
- Antibiotics: targets, spectra, and resistance
- Physical/chemical control methods
- Sterilization vs disinfection concepts
- Laboratory biosafety practices
Host–microbe interactions
- Pathogenesis: adherence, invasion, toxins
- Innate and adaptive immunity overview for microbes
- Epidemiology of infectious disease (intro)
- Vaccines and public health interventions
- Emerging infectious diseases case studies
- Opportunistic infections and immunocompromise
STEM / applied
Lab skills
- Aseptic technique and culture methods
- Differential/selective media interpretation
- Microscopy and morphology identification
- Antibiotic susceptibility testing (Kirby–Bauer intro)
- Unknown identification workflows
- Accurate lab reporting and contamination troubleshooting
Applications
- Food and industrial microbiology survey
- Clinical specimen handling concepts
- Water quality and environmental monitoring
- One Health perspectives
- Communicating antibiotic stewardship
- Capstone: outbreak case analysis
Notes
Lab co-requisites are common. Tutoring aligns to the department’s organism list and BSL rules.