James Cook University Subject Handbook - 2000

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MI2011:03

Microbial Diversity

Townsville

Prerequisites: BM1000 or BZ1020
Inadmissable Subject Combination: MI2010

35 lectures, 33 hours practicals. First semester.

Staff: Assoc. Professor W Shipton.

Basic concepts of the structure, classification, identification, metabolism and growth of bacteria, fungi, viruses, protozoan and metazoan parasites and other microbes; mechanisms of variation, nutrition of microbes, influence of environmental parameters on growth and reproduction; introduction to the immune system. Microbiology of soil, air, water and food and aspects of industrial microbiology.

Learning Objectives:

  1. describe the basic principles which regulate the activities and account for the behaviour of microorganisms and parasites;
  2. understand the fundamental aspects of the immune response;
  3. recognise the relevance of microbes and parasites to public health, industry and agriculture;
  4. outline the basic concepts which are fundamental to understanding the usefulness of microbes in biotechnology;
  5. safely manipulate microbes in the laboratory and be skilled in the basic techniques used in their identification.

Assessment by laboratory assignments (30%); examination (70%).


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