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With
a degree in microbiology, you will be well prepared
to undertake graduate study in any of the life sciences
or to pursue a professional degree in medicine, veterinary
medicine, or dentistry. You will be ideally suited
for employment in biotechnology, pharmaceutics, medical
and forensic sciences, biological research institutes,
hospital laboratories, hospital supply companies, or
the food industry.
The
teaching and research interests of the microbiology
faculty span all aspects of interactions of microorganisms
with animals and the environment. Using microorganisms
and cell cultures as model systems, today's microbiologists
employ the tools of molecular biology and biochemistry
to identify and examine the molecules central to life
processes.
In
microbiology courses you will learn about many ways
in which microorganisms are essential for the survival
of all living organisms. A variety of topics, ranging
from the analysis of molecules -- protein structure
and  function;
the structure, organization, and expression of genes
-- to the analysis of whole organisms -- biodegradation
and biotransformation -- will demonstrate the importance
of microorganisms in the environment.
Although
humans can reap many benefits from microorganisms, there
are times when microbial processes are detrimental to
humans. You will learn how some microorganisms cause
disease, and you will become familiar with the elaborate
mechanisms used by potential victims to combat invasion
by bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites. This information
is being applied to the development of modern medical
techniques such as the diagnostic use of DNA and antibody
probes to identify disease-causing agents, and the production
of recombinant subunit vaccines.
As
a microbiology major, you will learn how microbial genes,
proteins, and processes are being exploited in the exciting
field of biotechnology to help cure diseases, generate
alternative fuels, produce new antibiotics, and recover
valuable metals from ores. You can choose to do laboratory
research as part of your undergraduate curriculum and
participate in the daily operations of a laboratory
conducting research at the forefront of these and other
areas of microbiology and immunology.
- Recombinant
DNA techniques
- Role of
enzymes in metabolic processes
- Molecular
architecture of microbial cells
- Immunotherapy
- Microbial
diversity
- Bioenergetics
- Transfer
of DNA in bacterial populations
- Modern
applications of microbial processes: vaccine production,
water treatment, alternative fuels, production of
antibiotics
- Regulation
of gene expression
- Growth
of microbial cells and populations
- AIDS:
the virus, and the molecules that are important in
the disease
You will obtain laboratory experience in:
- Gene cloning
- Antigen-antibody
interactions:
- Western
blotting, enzyme-lined immunoassay, immunofluorescence
- The use
of microorganisms for chemical analysis
- DNA-agarose
gel electrophoresis
- Determining
environmental factors that influence microorganisms
- Transposon
mutagenesis
- Generation
of antibodies
- Enzyme
assays
- The analysis
of microbial diversity
- The isolation
and analysis of plasmic DNA
- Culture
of T-lymphocytes
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