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At the end of the course students will:

1. Be able to describe the structure of bacterial cells, the form, arrangement and replication of genetic material within a bacterial cell; the types of mutations that may occur in bacterial DNA, evolution of bacteria; the use of nucleic acid in the molecular taxonomy of bacterial species.
2. Be familiar with the mechanisms by which bacteria can exchange fragments of DNA, the mechanisms by which self-transmissible DNA fragments maintain their presence in bacterial cells and how they may mediate their own transfer to other bacterial cells. Be able to describe the replication strategies used by bacterial viruses.
3. Be able to describe the nutritional and physical requirements for bacterial growth and explain the dynamics of the growth of a bacterial population and how this growth can be measured. Also, the DNA replication during growth and how bacteria regulate their gene expression during growth and in particular conditions.
4. Be familiar with the ways in which bacterial pathogens can be transmitted to humans, and the factors that influence transmission of pathogens and the occurrence of infectious diseases. This includes the concepts of virulence and virulence factors, opportunistic pathogens, and predisposing factors to disease.
5. Have an appreciation of the practice of microbiology.

• J. Willey, K. Sandman and D. Wood. Prescott's Microbiology. 12th Edition. McGraw Hill.
• D. Wessner, C. Dupont, T. Charles, J. Neufeld. Microbiology. 3rd Edition. Wiley.
• J. Slonczewski, J. Foster, E. Zinser. Microbiology: An Evolving Science. 6th Edition. W. W. Norton & Company

• 24 x 1 hour lectures and 8 x 1 hour tutorials delivered over 12 weeks. 
• Practical sessions as required.  Practical class contact of 4hr per week for up to five weeks during semester, as required according to the MBS Practical ABC system (see Course Planner for details, under SCIENCE 2100/2101/2102 as required).

A student enrolled in a 3 unit course, such as this, should expect to spend, on average 12 hours per week on the studies required. This includes both the formal contact time required to the course (e.g., lectures and practicals), as well as non-contact time (e.g., reading and revision).

The assessment methods used for this course are designed to test development of various Bachelor of Science graduate attributes. The components of assessment used are:

Practical assessment: 20%

This summative and formative activity will assist students to develop an understanding of the observational and experimental character of science, to value the close relationship between scientific research and development of new knowledge, develop practical laboratory skills, appreciate the need for experimental design, develop skills to interpret raw experimental data. The practical exercises are designed to develop teamwork, objective criticism and high level numerical and computing skills. The skills to effectively communicate the outcomes in written and oral reports is a significant part. The laboratory exercises will give students opportunity to learn skills made available by new technologies. The practicals include laboratory based exercises, computer based exercises to develop data handling skills, use of online databases and bioinformatics applications, and online journal and abstracting systems for preparation of review style reports. The practicals are assessed by a combination of written reports and oral presentations.

Tutorials: 10%

Attendance at tutorials is a requirement to be awarded marks for the associated tutorial assessments. The aim of tutorials is to develop a student’s knowledge, scientific curiosity for microbiology and an appreciation of the role of microbiology for society and the environment. The tutorials are designed to reinforce lectures, assist students to develop a deeper understanding of the theory, allow students to explore the use of experimental methods to test hypotheses. Assessment of tutorials is by a mix of multiple choice question sets, short answer questions and evaluation of student performance in discussion.

Theory Tests: 20%, 25%, 25%

There are three theory tests, one each for the three blocks of material presented in the course.  The test formats will be published in advance and will comprise some combination of multiple choice question sets, questions requiring one or two sentence answers or short answer questions - all are designed to test understanding and application of the theory component of the course. Feedback on test outcomes is used to assist students to address learning difficulties, to refine frameworks for communication of scientific information and problem solving.

If an extension is not applied for, or not granted then a penalty for late submission will apply. A penalty of 10% of the value of the assignment for each calendar day that is late (i.e. weekends count as 2 days), up to a maximum of 50% of the available marks will be applied. This means that an assignment that is 5 days or more late without an approved extension can only receive a maximum of 50% of the mark.