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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

• 12x 2-hour workshops and up to 8x 1-hour seminars (minimum of 4 seminars).
• Independent study of pre-workshop content/activities will be required to prepare for engagement with the workshops.
• 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. workshops and practicals), as well as non-contact time (e.g. reading, revision and assessment preparation).

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.

Workshop Quizzes: 40% (8x 5%)
The course content will be assessed in part by quizzes held during the workshops.  While each of the 12 workshops will have a summative quiz, only the top 8 quiz marks will be counted towards the student's final semester score.  

Seminar Reflections: 20% (2x 10%)
There will be up to 8 seminars held across the semester. Students will be granted an opportunity to select two seminars as the basis for this assessment. Students will be provided with a template document that includes specific questions about the seminar content, along with reflective questions that require them to identify areas of the seminar they did not understand, and the methods/approaches they used to improve their understanding, including supplying specific resources (e.g. journal articles, appropriate web posts, textbook references etc).

Topic Review: 20% (1x 20%)
The topic review will be a "guided essay" type assessment. Students will be given the opportunity to craft and refine a topic based on a specific area of microbiology of their choice. They will need to review relevant literature, and then using a provided template, craft a written review of this topic area. The goal is to demonstrate discipline knowledge and improve their ability to write in a suitable scientific style (training on the latter will be provided during the workshops).

If an extension is not applied for, or not granted, then a penalty for late submission will apply. A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark for the assignment will be applied for each calendar day after the due date (weekends count as 2 days), up to a maximum of 50% for submission 5 or more days after the due date.  Any submission after feedback has been provided to students will not receive any marks i.e. a 100% penalty.