Courses
The Microbiology Department consists of 11 faculty with a diverse range of interests. Research in the department encompasses many areas of microbiology including: microbial pathogenesis, microbial physiology, immunology, genetics, epidemiology, virology and molecular biology. The faculty and students collaborate on topics of mutual interest within and between departments. These include, but are not limited to, molecular mechanisms of virulence, microbial adhesion, microbial/host cell interaction and identification of causative agents of disease. The faculty receive grant support from a variety of external sources to support their research. The department provides a relaxed environment, individualized training, and opportunities for extensive interaction with all faculty members. Current courses are listed below:
MICR 5000/6000. Medical Microbiology (6 credits) Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor. This course is required of all students seeking a graduate degree in biomedical sciences with emphasis in microbiology. It is a survey of microbial forms including bacteria and viruses, bacterial physiology, genetics, immunity, and clinical parasitology. Lectures, laboratories, clinical conferences.
MICR 5362/6362. Molecular Virology (3 credits) Prerequisites: BIOM 5010/6010, 5020/6020 and MICR 5000/6000 and/or permission of the instructor. Molecular Virology is offered in alternating spring semesters and meets 6 hours/week for 1\2 semester. A lecture and discussion course taught largely from the primary literature. This course covers molecular biologic aspects of the viral lifecycle as well as virus-host interactions, viral evolution, viral transmission and pathogenesis. Experimental approaches used to study these aspects of virology are particularly stressed. Lecture and class discussions.
MICR 5900/6900. Bacterial Genetics (3 credits) Prerequisites: BIOM 5010/6010, 5020/6020 and MICR 5000/6000 and/or permission of the instructor. Offered in alternating spring semesters; meets 6 hours/week for 1\2 semester. A lecture and discussion course taught largely from the primary literature. Topics include: fundamentals of bacterial genetics, genomics, DNA replication, transcription/translation, mutation, plasmids, conjugation, bacteriophage, DNA repair/recombination, genetic analyses using bacteria and phage and biotechnology. Lecture and class discussions.
MICR 6800. Microbial Pathogenesis (5 credits) Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor. This course is an advanced seminar-tutorial class involving journal presentations and the preparation of a shortened NIH-format grant proposal. The course covers topics including pathogenic mechanisms, cellular interactions, host defense and microbial genetic regulation and response. Lecture and class discussions. MICR 5500/6500. Special Topics in Microbiology (2 credits) Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor. Lecture course on areas of special interest to microbiologists; e.g., RNA viruses, comparative immunity, special groups of bacteria, etc. This course can be taken repeatedly for credit with different topics. Lecture and discussion sessions.
MICR 5900/6900. Special Problems in Microbiology (2-5 credits) Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor. Research projects of limited scope to allow the student to develop certain skills or establish a specific interest in a research area. Conference and laboratory. MICR 5200/6200. Microbiology Seminar and Advanced Microbiology Seminar (2 credits) Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor. This course consists of a student presentation of research findings or a review of a topic of interest. Students must be prepared to participate in discussion. Microbiology seminar may be taken for credit repeatedly. Generally a seminar consists of one 45-50 minute oral presentation followed by a question and answer period. MICR 5960. Microbiology Thesis Research (3 credits) Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor. Supervised research toward thesis. Conference and laboratory. MICR 5990/6990. Readings and Research (1-3 credits) Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor. Students who are not enrolled in other coursework but require the use of university facilities and/or faculty guidance for studies, research, or preparation of a prospectus MUST enroll for Readings and Research. Variable credits (1-3) of Readings and Research may also be used, as approved by student's advisory committee in conjunction with other coursework, to document such activities as development of research and scholarly skills that would not be appropriately covered by other types of independent study. Readings and Research credits do not count toward degree requirements. Grading of Readings and Research will be either satisfactory completion (S), satisfactory progress (SP), or unsatisfactory (U). MICR 7990. Readings and Research (1-3 credits) Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor. See MICR 5990/6990 for information. Grading of Readings and Research will be either satisfactory (S) or unsatisfactory (U). MICR 7960. Microbiology Dissertation Research (15-21 credits) Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor. Supervised research toward dissertation. Generally up to 12 credits; exceptionally up to 18 credits.