Molecular Microbial Ecology

Molecular microbial ecology (MME) uses leading-edge molecular tools to study the interactions and diversity of microorganisms in the natural environment. MME covers topics ranging from ancient polar microbes, the human microbiome, and the possibility of life beyond Earth. In this course we will discuss papers that highlight modern technical approaches and form the current theoretical framework in microbial ecology. The laboratory will examine the structure (”Who is there?”) and function (”What are they doing?”) of microbial communities in environmental samples. We will cultivate novel microorganisms and analyze nucleic acids via community fingerprinting, functional gene analysis, and the computational exploration of metagenomic datasets. (BIOL 0140 and BIOL 0145; MBBC 0324 or BIOL 0310 or by waiver) 3 hrs. lect./3 hrs. lab