Introductory Microbiology MCB2000

Spring 2012

 Instructor: Dr. Miroslav Gantar

Office: OE 208 (MM Campus)

Office hours: Tuesday/Thursday 11:00 -12:00 or by appointment

e-mail: gantarm@fiu.edu

Course Description

MCB 2000 is a 3-credit course intended to introduce non-science major students to the principles of Biology using microorganisms. The course is also a requirement for students in Dietetics, Nutrition and Nursing. The role played by microbes in the earth, aquatic environments, air, Biotechnology as well as in humans and other organisms, has a major impact on human affairs. The course covers basic concepts of microbes as pathogens, food spoilage and fermentative organisms. Microbial relationships to immunology, sanitation, pollution and geochemical cycling will also be covered.

This is a Global Learning Course - therefore it will enhance students’ Global Awareness, Perspective, and Engagement, so that all students in this course will have knowledge that scientific discoveries arise globally, affect human affairs globally and should be shared globally. This will be achieved through (1) accentuating the multi-dimensional value of significant discoveries in Microbiology, and (2) evaluating the significance of microbiological issues to human affairs historically and geographically. For example, the students will be asked to evaluate what was the socio-economic characteristic of the societies in which the discoveries happened; if there are any comparable discoveries in other geographic regions and to identify those; what were the contemporary significant achievements in art, literature, film-making etc.

As a Global Learning Course, in addition to textbook-based information, this course will enrich the learning process with information regarding the impact of Microbiology on social issues globally. This interdisciplinary global aspect of the course will be covered through (1) lectures, (2) lectures provided by guest speakers, and (3) students’ assignments.  FIU teachers from different Departments such as Sociology, History, Art and other non-FIU specialist will be invited to give talks as part of regular lectures. The purpose of these invited lectures will be to connect social or cultural events with microbiological crisis events or significant discoveries (e.g. what historical event preceded to the big flu epidemic in 1918).

General Course Objectives

The objective of the course is to teach students to:

·         Apply scientific principles and theories to problem solving

·         Scientifically evaluate situations in which microorganisms play role (relationship between microorganisms and diseases, food spoilage, production of drugs etc.)

·         Distinguish between “good and bad microbes”

·         Understand the basic microbiological techniques (concept of aseptic work, cultivation and identification of microorganism)

·         Use scientific theories to test microbiological hypothesis

·         Assess and critically evaluate claims made in popular media for their scientific merit.

Specific Global Learning Objectives

·   Global Awareness - Students will be able to show awareness of the global interrelationship between human affairs on one side and disease causing microorganisms, Biotechnology, and Environment issues on the other side. More specifically it will include:

o   Understanding of the scientific concepts that underlies the global nature of diseases caused by microorganisms

o   Developing critical thinking based on new global scientific information obtained in class

o   Understanding the impact of discoveries in Microbiology on global human affairs (novel cures, bioterrorism…)

o   Understanding the interrelationship between microbiological diseases and social/economic factors

o   Navigating through time - connecting/associating  discoveries in Microbiology with the achievements in Arts and Humanities

The assessment for Global Awareness will be in the form of (1) embedded test questions and (2) assignments.

·   Global Perspective - Students will be able to analyze health and economic issues related to microbiological situations that occur globally. The global industrial and agricultural use of microbes and their effect on social interaction will be analyzed with respect to global economies and pollution. This will include:

o   Comprehension of why microorganisms have a global impact on human affairs

o   Analyze why socio-economic factors may be responsible for outbreaks of diseases (Example: Outbreak of Cholera in post disaster Haiti)

The assessment for Global Perspective will be in the form of (1) embedded test questions and (2) assignments.

·   Global Engagement - Students will demonstrate a willingness to engage in disease prevention/intervention to address individual or global health problems, and other microbiological situations. This will include the development of the following abilities:

o   To analyze students’ own willingness to be involved in problem remediation regarding microbiological situations

o   To present their own plan for potential abatement of crisis situations caused by microbiological issues

The assessment for Global Engagement will be accomplished by grading the papers to be submitted by students.

 Interdisciplinary content - Invited lectures

Interdisciplinary content of the course will be covered through invited lectures to be provided by FIU faculty from different Departments as well as by other specialist (e.g. representatives from County Health Department, Health care institutions, etc.). These lectures will be embedded in regular lectures for the purpose of interconnecting microbiology-caused events and some social or cultural developments. Here are some examples of lectures to be given by the invited speakers:

-       Viral infections- Did Mona Lisa have hepatitis when posing to Leonardo Da Vinci? Who was Leonardo Da Vinci?

-       Diseases of the digestive system- Tchaikovsky’s death is attributed to cholera. Learn about the music of Tchaikovsky.

-       Respiratory infections – Great flu epidemics in 1918. It was preceded with what world events?

-       Development of vaccines – Luis Pasteur was celebrated as a hero for saving lives of Russian peasants in 1885. What was the socio-political situation in Russia in that time?

-       Sexually transmitted diseases – What are the trends in Miami-Dade County (Florida, USA)?

These lectures will be organized on contingency bases and will depend on the availability of the speakers and they might vary between semesters. Presentations of the guest speakers will be videotaped for future use.

Why this course belongs to Global Learning Initiative

Microbes are global. No other organisms affect human lives as microbes do. They can be found in any environment. Their global significance can be found in the facts that they sustain life on planet Earth through the recycling of elements, by providing food (through fermentation), by maintaining health (probiotic activity), and by causing diseases (pathogenic microorganisms). They are not restricted by time or social/political system. In others words, microbes are truly global.

 Prerequisites

None

Required Text

Microbiology content

Cowan, 2012 (3rd edition), MICROBIOLOGY - A Systems Approach, McGraw Hill Higher Education

or

Cowan and Talaro, 2009 (2nd edition),  MICROBIOLOGY - A Systems Approach, McGraw Hill Higher Education

The text can be purchased:

    - at the FIU bookstore

    - as an E-BOOK for a much lower price from the publisher        http://www.coursesmart.com/

-   from abebooks.com for discounted versions of new and used books,

-   from amazon.co.uk and others or international editions. The international editions are paperback and about half the cost, give them a week to send from the UK.

Common reading

Appiah, K.A., “The Case for Contamination,” New York Times, January 1, 2006. Online at http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/01/magazine/01cosmopolitan.html?_r=1&pagewanted=print  

Interdisciplinary – Global content

For this aspect of the course you will be expected to look for the relevant literature/information on line or elsewhere. A list of topics to be covered by each exam will be provided on the course website.

Active Learning Strategy

The active learning strategy includes the following components:

    - Required: (1) submitting either an essay or (2) accomplishing a field work

    - Optional: A Power Point presentation – extra credit (see bellow)

1.    Writing an essay. You can chose to write a paper (3-5 pages, double space, font 12) on a microbiology topic of your choice. The paper must have a relevance to Common reading article (see above); it has to have an aspect of the global perspective. 

      Examples of essay titles:

        - Tuberculosis – a social aspect of a disease

        - Is globalization preventing or contributing to spread of AIDS

        - Microbial water contamination in beaches of South Florida   

        - HIV in Miami-Dade County

        - Dengue Fever: how does it affect underdeveloped countries?

      The essay should provide basic information on the medical and microbiological aspects of the disease (causative agent, symptoms, treatment, etc.) as well as the social aspect (e.g. socio-economic characteristics of those suffering from this disease, geographic distribution; historic perspective, etc)]. A paper should present the perspective/position of different nations/countries in regard to measures for preventing disease outbreaks (e.g. type of health care system, vaccination programs etc.) and compare those to WHO standards.

      Please request an approval of the title of your paper by sending an e-mail to Dr. Prabhakar Pant (TA) ppant002@fiu.edu and submit the paper as a Word document to the same e-mail address.

2.    Accomplishing a field work - If you decide to go for this kind of active learning strategy you will be expected to visit health care or research institutions and interview a specialist on a selected topic and write a 2-3 page paper summarizing your findings. [An example: Incidence of AIDS in Miami-Dade County]. A paper should provide general information on the specific diseases, as well as the epidemiological data obtained from the local or national sources. 

     Giving a 10-minute Power Point presentation. The presentation should have a global perspective of a microbiology problem. If you decide to give a PP presentation, then you will not have to write an essay nor do the field work. In addition, you will earn between 1-5% points as extra credit. For an example of the topic, please see above (same as writing an essay). If there are more registered students for presentation than available spots, then your teacher will select presentations that are the most relevant for this Global Learning course. Students’ presentation will be given during the regular classes. (see the course calendar).

      To get an approval for the title of oral presentation please send an e-mail to gantarm@fiu.edu 

Before you start writing an essay or preparing an oral presentation

The topic and the title of the essay/field work/oral presentation need to be approved beforehand by your teacher (check the due date in the Course Calendar).

For the title approval for the paper send an e-mail to Dr. Prabhakar Pant (TA) ppant002@fiu.edu  

For the title approval for oral presentation send an e-mail to gantarm@fiu.edu

The essay, field work paper, and presentations will be graded based on a rubric that will evaluate: Scientific and Global aspect of the selected topic.

 Course Policies

1.Grading

Your final letter grade will be based on (1) the average score of three exams (worth 70% of your grade) and on (2) the score obtained for the paper on Global-Interdisciplinary aspect of the course (worth 30% of your grade). In addition, you can choose to accomplish additional assignment for extra credit (see below). The letter grade will be given after the 3rd exam and will be based on a class curve. If a regular grade distribution occurs, the standard grading scale (90%-100% = A, 80%-89% = B, 70%-79% = C, 60%-69% = D, <60% = F will be used. If the average score of the whole class is below 75%, then the curving will be applied.  

 (A) Exams

There will be 3 exams over the course of the semester - each consisting of 50 multiple choice questions and each worth 100% course points. Each exam will have 10% questions covering the global aspect of the course. Exam #3, though scheduled during the week of finals, will not be cumulative. 

Exams will be multiple-choice with sense-mark (Scantron) answer sheets.

Wearing brimmed hats or baseball caps during exams is not permitted.

(B) Global-Interdisciplinary Assignments

Your grade will also contain assessment of your assignments on global aspect of this course. Please see above (Active Learning Strategy).

(C) Extra Point Assignments

Extra points can be earned in one of two ways:

1     Participating in sessions with the PLTL program (Peer Led Team Learning).By actively participating in PLTL you  will gain extra points that will increase your final grade by up to 5% points. Please reference the PLTL Syllabus (on PLTL website). Why should you use their services? Each week you will be meeting with a PLTL leader and a small group of students. A PLTL Leader is a peer who has taken the course before and will guide you through the worksheets each week. This will definitely help you score higher on the exams. Learn how to get those extra points by contacting the PLTL team.

2      Giving a 10-minute Power Point presentation. Please see above.

2. Make-up Exam  

If you miss an exam, please contact the instructor within 24 hours of the exam, if possible. Missed exams may result in a score of zero if the instructor is not notified in a timely fashion.  Alternatives to a score of zero for the exam may be discussed with the instructor.

Make-Up Exams will be given only to students providing valid documentation of a medical or other serious problem.  Make-Up Exams are not multiple choice questions; they will be in the form of essay questions.

 If you are unable to attend an exam, contact the instructor at least 48 hours prior to the scheduled exam time to discuss alternatives.

 3. Cheating

Cheating will not be tolerated! Students caught cheating during an examination will be removed from the exam and given an "F" for the course.

Plagiarism is academic misconduct that involves using words, opinions, and information of others as your own. Written work will be analyzed in "turnitin.com" and any document identified as plagiarism will generate an “F” and charges for “Academic Misconduct” against the student will be brought up. Academic Misconduct becomes a permanent part of a student record. 

4. Incomplete Grades

An incomplete grade is a temporary symbol given at the discretion of the instructor for work not completed because of serious interruption not caused by the student's own negligence. An incomplete grade must be made up as quickly as possible, but no later than two semesters or it will automatically default to the grade that the student earned in the course. There is no extension to the two semester deadline. The student must not register again for the course to make up the incomplete. Incomplete grade will require written documentation (doctor's note, accident report, etc.) of the underlying condition that impedes student progress. A form will need to be signed by the student detailing the procedure and agenda for completing course-work. Students who receive an incomplete grade and have applied for graduation at the end of that term, must complete the incomplete grade by the end of the fourth week of the following term. Failure to do so will result in a cancellation of graduation. That student will need to reapply for graduation.  

Pre-Nursing Students

Note of Advice

MCB2000 and Lab are required along with other science courses for entry into BSN in the School of Nursing. This course will cover the basics of biological sciences as well as the basic nature of microbial diseases, immunology and epidemiology. This course is not simply a requirement, but rather one that can provide the fundamental scientific background to Nursing.

Please note that the admission requirements to FIU's Nursing program do not allow repeats in science courses. That means you must earn at a minimum a grade of C (not C- or lower). Nursing program is very competitive and a grade of C does not guarantee that you will get in.

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