2007 Syllabus for MMBB J425/J525, SOIL J425/J525, Microbial Ecology

Instructor: Guy R. Knudsen

Professor, Soil and Land Resources Division

(adjunct Professor of Microbiology, MMBB Department)

email: gknudsen@uidaho.edu              tel. 885-7933

Class Room & Time: Ag Science 323, MWF 11:30-12:20

Textbook:  Microbial Ecology, 4th edition, by Atlas & Bartha.  A copy will be on 2-hr reserve in the library!

Office Hours:  By appointment (email or telephone first)! This is to save us all time and frustration, so I won't be sitting around waiting for someone to show up, and you won't be standing in line to talk to me. My office is 109 Ag Science. My mailbox is in the PSES mailroom (Ag Science 243).

Text: Microbial Ecology, R. M. Atlas & R. Bartha; 4^th edition (3^rd edition will work if you have that).  A copy will be on reserve in the library if you are unable to buy one.

Grading:  Note:  exams will be mostly in-class, however there may be a take-home open-book portion for each exam, which will be handed out ahead of time.

Soil425, MMBB425:  Four (mostly) in-class exams (including final exam), 20% each, class participation 20%

Soil525, MMBB 525: Four (mostly) in-class exams (including final exam), 20% each, class participation and grad presentation 20%

Important!: Class Website- We have an internet website for class assignments and announcements:  http://courses.ag.uidaho.edu/pses/soil425/425as.html

     -You will need to check this regularly and often!  This is where I will post all kinds of course information, such as reading and other assignments, additions to lecture notes, reminders about exams, etc. etc. Be sure to bookmark this site and check it frequently!

Organization of the course:  Microbial ecology is a vast and rapidly evolving area.  We are going to approach it by supplementing traditional lecture material with a significant amount of outside reading as well as scheduled class discussions (with student participation required). 

Over the semester, we will be investigating four general (and overlapping) subject areas, each of which comprises about four chapters in the textbook.  These subject areas are:

1) Microbial diversity and phylogeny (chapters 1, 2, 6 & 7)

2) Biogeochemical ecology of microbes (chapters 8, 9, 10, & 11)

3) Interactions of microbes with each other and other organisms (chapters 3, 4, 5 & 16)

4) Environmental applications of microbial ecology (chapters 12, 13, 14 & 15)

Additional requirement for SOIL 525 and MMBB 525: Graduate presentation.  Each person taking the course for graduate credit will make a presentation to the class and help lead a class discussion of the topic presented.  You may choose any topic in microbial ecology.  Your topic may relate to your own research if you like, except that I’ll ask you not to rehash any previous seminars you may have given somewhere else!  You'll have roughly 30 minutes to present your material, and then about 20 minutes to help me lead a followup discussion by the class.  The required format is a Powerpoint presentation.  Please provide (at least a few days before class, so I can photocopy) a short abstract of your talk, with a few good references. Also include in your reference list, the most appropriate pages from the Atlas & Bartha text, to back up your presentation. Also, please provide me with two suitable exam questions from your material, preferably one day or more before your presentation.  The presentations will occur near the end of the semester, one presentation per day.  Attendance will be required for the whole class.  Deadline:  By April 1, please provide me with a title and short abstract of your presentation. Also please let me know by then if there are dates when you would not be able to make your presentation (e.g., you're getting married that day, or something equally or more serious), so I can schedule the presentations. Also, any special requests or concerns you have.  Please plan to run your ideas before me, ahead of time!

Here is a schedule of planned lecture topics and exams, minor changes may be necessary, of course:

Microbial Ecology Homepage