Handbook

This course provides a broad coverage of material describing the fundamentals of microbial genetics. The course differs from MICR3621 Microbial Genetics (Advanced) by requiring less contact time in the laboratory and less overall course assessment. The course is intended for students interested in microbiology, molecular biology and genetics. The course covers fundamentally important and well established concepts in microbial genetics, while emphasizing the latest discoveries that have emerged from contemporary research efforts in the field (presented by senior researchers). Topics may include genetics of bacteriophages, bacteria, archaea and yeast, mutation and evolution, mechanisms of gene transfer, gene regulation and adaptive responses, and genomics and functional genomics of individual microorganisms and whole microbial communities. The practical component includes contemporary wet-lab microbial genetics experiments that complement lecture material. The practical also emphasizes interaction between demonstrators and students, facilitated through a rich variety of concept tutorials that cover diverse topics including experiments and outcomes with bacteria, archaea, or yeast involving transposon mutagenesis, gene library construction, gene complementation using recombinant plasmids, gene expression and regulation studies, UV mutagenesis and DNA repair, restriction/modification systems, promoter rescue experiments, and a variety of gene exchange techniques. The socioeconomic impact of microbial genetics is also discussed.