Fort Hays State University

BIOL 490/490L - General Microbiology and Lab (Spring 2007)

Instructor:
Dr. Eric A. Strauss
Office: Albertson 402
Office phone: (785) 628-5367
Email: eastrauss@fhsu.edu

Syllabus - the most current version will be found here (Updated 12 April 2007)

Textbook Website - an excellent reference that includes practice quizes, chapter summaries, flash cards, and other study aids. If you don't quite understand a topic and don't feel like asking a question, this may be a good place to start.

Lecture Notes
Note: These are PDF handouts created from the PowerPoint presentations I'll be using in class. More will be added as I finish writing them. They are not exact copies of what I will use in lecture, so I suggest you print these handouts, bring them to class, and write additional notes on them. These should not be considered as a substitute for coming to class. If you cannot see a figure very well, check your textbook. If the figure is not in your text, let me know and I'll be sure to give you a larger copy of the figure. Please print these (and all materials) double-sided to conserve paper.

Case Studies
You should print each of these and place them in your notebook. You will be responsible for having these when we go over them in class. The date in parentheses is the approximate date that each of these will be covered in class. You do not need to read these prior to class (unless otherwise directed) - these are designed to be in-class exercises.

01-Dinoflagellate Fish Kills (16 March)
02-Coliforms in Antarctica (9 April)
03-Antibiotics (Homework - Due Monday April 30th)

Extra Credit
Extra credit can be acheived in one of two ways. You may do one, neither, or both. These extra credit options are worth a total of 80 points maximum (enough to raise your grade a full letter). At the end of the semester, points will be allocated to your lecture grade until the next higher letter grade is acheived, the remaining points will be allocated to your lab grade. If the added points will not raise your lecture grade to the next level, I will allocate all points to your lab grade if that is more beneficial to you.

1. Attend the American Society of Microbiology (ASM) branch meeting in Stillwater, OK (March 30 & 31) for a maximum of 40 points. The number of points you receive will be based on how much of the meeting you attend. If you attend the whole meeting you will receive all 40 points, if you attend half of the meeting you will receive half of the points, etc. Click here for meeting website.
2. You may write a research paper on a microbiology topic. The paper will be worth up to 4 points/page with a 5 page minimum and a 10 page maximum. If you are interested in this mechanism of earning extra credit please read the detailed instructions located here.

Links
Here a few microbiology links that you might find informative.

American Society for Microbiology (ASM)

Microbes.info

MicrobeWorld

Todar's Online Textbook of Bacteriology