BIO 304: MICROBIOLOGY

 Catalog Description: BIO 304: MICROBIOLOGY (S) Introduction to microorganisms and their laboratory study. Major topics include microbial metabolism, genetics, immunology, medical microbiology, microbial ecology. Three lectures, one three-hour laboratory. Prerequisite: BIO 210.  (4 cr. hr.)

Additional Information:  This course is taught in the Spring by Dr. Batzing and the laboratories are held in Bowers Hall 245.

Perspectives on the field of Microbiology and the Course:  I cannot think of a more exciting and meaningful field of study than microbiology. All students should take a microbiology course. I think microbiology should be part of the General Education requirement at SUNY Cortland! When I was in college, I became captivated by microbiology's blend of biology and chemistry and its relevance to my everyday life. Microbiology is headline news, everyday-SARS, AIDS, the search for microbial life on Mars, millions of pounds of meats recalled for bacterial contamination, anthrax and bioterrorism. The list goes on and on. Microbiology contributes to our understanding of health and disease and general principles that govern life, such as molecular genetics. The overwhelming mass of life on earth is microbial, and microorganisms play vital roles in every aspect of ecology. They drive the great cycles of nature, they are essential symbiotic partners in life with animals and plants, and they play critical roles in all aspects of pollution. They also give us a window through which we can see our evolutionary past and learn about our future.
    I've always been proud of being a microbiologist. In 1981, SUNY Cortland awarded its first honorary degree to Dr. Donald A. Henderson. Dr. Henderson directed the World Health Organization's program that succeeded in eradicating smallpox in the late 1970s. I remembered what Louis Pasteur had said-"the future will belong to those who will have done most for suffering humanity"-and I thought how wonderful it was that my college was recognizing the contributions of microbiology to understanding this dreaded disease and to eliminating the suffering it caused. Today, we are on the verge of eliminating polio and measles, and it is microbiologists who are at the forefront of research into today's health scourges- AIDS, and tuberculosis, and malaria. Currently, these three diseases alone affect 500 million people per year throughout the world, killing more than 6 million and leaving untold orphans. The World Health Organization estimates that in developing nations, one out of every two deaths stems from communicable diseases.
    The primary objective of Microbiology (BIO 304) is to give students a thorough introduction to the discipline of microbiology and microbiological laboratory techniques. Microbiology is very diversified. This reflects the very great diversity of microorganisms. Microbiology also has contributed perhaps more critically than any other field to the development of contemporary, molecularly-oriented, biology. During BIO 304, students encounter many unique aspects of microbiology; at the same time, they gain an appreciation of the central position that microbiology has assumed in today's biology.
    Two distinct but intimately related routes of instruction are followed. One of these, the lecture, provides the main exposure to the subject matter of microbiology. The other route of instruction is the investigative laboratory. Here, students learn the techniques needed to study microorganisms. The link between basic knowledge and application is very much evidenced in the microbiology laboratory, and here students relate concepts of the lecture to practical situations. Microbiological techniques are not difficult to master but they are unique. In essence they define microbiologists. You know who microbiologists are simply by watching what they do. It has been said, "the truly unique thing about microbiology is not the subjects it handles but rather the way it handles its subjects!"
    Bacteria and viruses receive the greatest attention. (It is assumed that protists and fungi were studied in introductory courses in Biological Sciences.) We focus on functional aspects of microorganisms rather than purely descriptive taxonomy; however, the activities of microorganisms in large measure provide the information used to classify them.
    I hope that students who complete the course have gained an awareness of (a) the extremely great diversity of microbes and their activities and the great diversity of microbiological research, (b) the great contributions of microbiology to biology and the key position of microbiology in today's biology, and (c) the unity, particularly in metabolism and genetics, underlying the diversity of microorganisms and all organisms.
    I sincerely hope that in addition to gaining knowledge about microorganisms, students enjoy this introduction to microbiology. I hope they are stimulated by their studies and that they will consult with me often.