The importance of microbiology in complex issues, such as the impact of the microbiome in human health or as alternative energy sources, is being appreciated more and more each day. This upper level laboratory course provides students with a robust technical skill set while also giving them an opportunity to participate in an authentic research project that may lead to novel discoveries. Students will generate research questions, formulate hypotheses, design experiments, analyze data, and present their research findings to the class. In each project, students will use the cutting edge approach of metagenomics to evaluate the microbial diversity of their environment via Next Generation Sequencing. Students will also examine the function of microbial species within their communities. Potential projects include the isolation of novel antibiotic producers and the antibiotic they produce, designing and optimizing microbial fuel cells that can be used to generate electricity, or isolating antibiotic resistant bacteria and attempting novel approaches to inhibit or prevent their growth. Prerequisite: BIOL 375 previously or concurrently is recommended but not required.

This course will survey the phylogeny and anatomy of vertebrate organisms from a comparative evolutionary perspective. The lecture will concentrate on the history, diversity, structure and function of vertebrates. A companion lab course, BIOL 336, is available for those students interested in a more complete understanding of vertebrate anatomy.