MI2011 - Microbial Diversity

Credit points:	03
Year:	2012
Student Contribution Band:	Band 4
Administered by:	School of Veterinary & Biomedical Sciences

Basic concepts of the structure, classification, identification, metabolism and growth of bacteria, fungi, viruses, protozoan and metazoan parasites and other microbes; mechanisms of variation; microbial genetics and their application to recombinant DNA technology; 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 Outcomes

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

Prerequisites:

BM1000 or BZ1001

Availabilities
Townsville, Internal, Study Period 1
Census Date 22-Mar-2012
Coordinator:	Dr Jenny Elliman
Lecturers:	Assoc. Professor Jeffrey Warner, Dr Ellen Ariel, Dr Constantin Constantinoiu, Professor Natkunam Ketheesan.
Contact hours:	35 hours lectures 33 hours practicals
Assessment:	end of semester exam (70%); assignments (30%).

Note: Minor variations might occur due to the continuous Subject quality improvement process, and in case of minor variation(s) in assessment details, the Subject Outline represents the latest official information.