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Instructor: Brent C. Christner
Office: 282b Life Sciences Building
Phone: (225) 578-1734
Email:
xner@lsu.edu
Office hours: W 11:00–12:00
Prerequisite:
BIOL 2051 – General Microbiology
Course content:
• Biology of the Bacteria and Archaea
• Evolution, diversity assessment, systematics, and ecology
• Emphasis on molecular approaches
Text:
Recommended: Madigan, M.T. and J.M. Martinko. 2005. Brock: Biology
of Microorganisms (11th or current eds.), Prentice Hall.
Scientific literature:
Readings from the text will be supplemented with scientific research
papers and reviews that will be posted on the course website. For many
students, these papers will be their first exposure to scientific
literature. Reading a scientific paper is not like reading a text book.
One goal of this course is to develop your ability to digest the content
of and critically evaluate scientific literature.
Grading:
Exams: There will be 3 exams. A missed exam can only be made up if
official documentation is provided that clearly indicates
circumstances beyond a student’s control. Notes from a family member or
friend are not acceptable. The makeup will be an essay exam and cover all
material in the course.
Written assignment: All students must submit a critical analysis of a
research paper focusing on some aspect of microbial diversity. Papers are
to be based on published research articles from journals such as
Applied and Environmental Microbiology, Environmental Microbiology,
and International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology.
The paper should include a summary of the (i) methods and (ii)
results, and (iii) a critique of the approach used and authors’
conclusions. Length should be at least 3 full double-spaced pages (1 inch
margins) using 12-pt Times New Roman font. Each student must choose a
research article and submit a pdf version to me (email to
xner@lsu.edu; subject line BIOL4125 research article) by 19 February.
Come see me during my scheduled office hours if you need help selecting an
article. A hard copy of your paper is due in class on 13 March. DO NOT
place your paper in my mailbox or under the door of my office. The
penalty for late turn in of a research paper is deduction of 10
percentage points per day. Graduate students: see below for
additional requirements.
Plagiarism examples.
Class participation: Student participation in class discussions is
encouraged and expected. Attendance may affect your participation grade.
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Overall grading percentages: |
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Grading scale: |
|
Exam I |
25% |
|
A |
100-90% |
|
Exam II |
25% |
|
B |
89-80% |
|
Final
exam |
25% |
|
C |
79-70% |
|
Written
assignment |
20% |
|
D |
69-60% |
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Class
participation |
5% |
|
F |
Below
60% |
Additional requirements for graduate credit:
Graduate student exams will be different (i.e., contain more essay
questions) and will be graded on different standards from those designed
for undergraduate students. Graduate students are also required to submit
a research paper of at least 5 pages in length. The paper should focus on
a topic rather than a specific research article. Email me your research
paper topic by 19 February. As with exams, graduate student research
papers will be evaluated separately from the rest of the class. Grades
for graduate students will be straight scale, meaning there will be NO
curve or rounding of the final grade. To obtain a passing grade
(i.e., C or higher), graduate students must accrue at least 70% of the
possible points in the course.
Other course information:
Email and internet access are required for the course. Students
should check the course site and read their email regularly.
Lecture slides: The instructor will supply a hard copy of the lecture
slides for each class. An electronic copy (pdf version) of these notes
will be made available on the course website.
Attendance will be documented but is not directly factored into the
final grade.
Study hint: The LSU Center for Academic Success (CAS;
http://appl003.lsu.edu/slas/cas.nsf/index) exists to help students do
well in their classes. At their web site, consider taking their “Test
Your Learning Style” to see how you learn best.
Code of Student Conduct:
Students are expected to adhere to the Code of Student Conduct, which
can be accessed at:
http://appl003.lsu.edu/slas/dos.nsf/$Content/Code+of+Conduct?OpenDocument.
University regulations on academic misconduct will be strictly enforced
and violators will be referred immediately to the Dean of Students.
Students with disabilities:
If a student has a disability which may require accommodation, you
should immediately contact the office of Services for Students with
Disabilities to officially document the needed accommodation. The
instructor must be presented with this documentation during the first
week of class.
To make our time together as valuable as possible:
·
Attend all scheduled classes and arrive on time.
·
Come prepared to discuss the material.
·
Please turn off cell phones and refrain from sending text messages,
checking email, or any other behavior that might be disruptive to other
students.
· If
you have trouble concentrating on the lecture because of a distraction,
quietly ask those responsible for the distraction to stop. If the
distraction continues, please let me know.
·
Please contact me immediately if you have any problem which is preventing
you from performing satisfactorily in this class.
TENTATIVE course calendar
(Subject to change)
†
Numbers indicate chapters in Brock Biology of Microorganisms (11th
ed.).
Supplemental readings:
The copyright of the respective articles are with the corresponding
publishers and the files are provided for academic use only.
Giovannoni et al. 2005. Genome streamlining in a cosmopolitan
oceanic bacterium. Science 309:1242-1245.
Tomitani et al.
2006. The evolutionary diversification of cyanobacteria:
molecular-phylogenetic and paleontological perspectives. PNAS
103:5442-5447.
Huber et al.
1998. Thermocrinis ruber gen. nov., sp. nov., a
pink-filament-forming hyperthermophilic bacterium isolated from
Yellowstone National Park. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 64:3576-3583.
Huber et al.
2002. A new phylum of Archaea represented by a nanosized hyperthermophilic
symbiont. Nature 417:63-67. |