526-321 Practical Bacteriology

Note

1. Because of constraints on laboratory space and workloads students may not gain credit for both 526-307 and 526-321 or 526-041 (Agriculture course) in any one year.
2. Students offered places must register for Laboratory classes in the Department of Microbiology (Room 206, 2nd floor) during the second last week of the long vacation.

Credit Points

Coordinator

Prerequisites

Microbiology 526-201 or 526-203, 526-202.

Strongly Recommended: Biochemistry 521-211 and 521-212 (or 521-201)

Semester

Contact

Subject Description

By the end of the subject students should be able to:

• understand and explain the principles and procedures involved in isolating and identifying bacteria, particularly those of medical importance
• comprehend the principles of quantitative bacteriology experiments
• perform the necessary manipulative skills involved in bacterial culture, isolation and identification
• apply modern analytical methods (e.g. SDS-PAGE) to problems encountered in a microbiological laboratory.
• retrieve published scientific data relating to a particular topic using computer searches and library facilities (e.g. medline)
• Write up the results of their experimental studies in the format of a paper for a scientific journal.

This subject covers various aspects of microbiology including medical microbiology, bacterial nutrition and growth, media, rapid diagnostic methods, and bacterial taxonomy. All students will do a series of short experimental exercises (i.e. not a project practical course) and write up the results as reports which will be used for assessment. The essay topic to be given out at the beginning of the course will focus on some aspect of current interest.

Assessment

Laboratory work (written reports and oral presentations); an essay of up to 2000 words; personal assessment; and a 2-hour practical examination. The weighting of the components will be advised at the commencement of the subject.