Category: Microbiology

each student will be select an infectious agent of their interest (including, eukaryotic, prokaryotic, protozoan cells, viruses and prions) at the beginning of the quarter, and research their chosen infectious agents outside of class using web resources (

/

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, preferably) and current literature.

You will be expected to prepare a, six to eight page, written paper covering the various aspects of an your infectious disease of choice in accordance to the topics listed below.

• Taxonomic classification
• History and interesting facts
• Notable outbreaks
• Morphological and growth characteristics
• Disease geography
• Rout of transmission / Life cycle
• Mechanisms of pathogenesis
• Diagnosis / symptoms
• Treatment modalities / availability of vaccine
• Public health initiatives / preventative actions
• References

the final, submitted, paper must be broken down into sections. Each section will include the above-mentioned topics (e.g. taxonomic classification) included as a heading, followed by in depth analysis of literature pertaining to that heading. Please double-space all your text. Use 1 margins all round. Use 12 pt font. The minimum number your pages should not be below 6 pages and maximum length should not exceed 8 pages (references not included). A minimum of 8 primary literature citations should be used for the paper. Articles must be cited in APA format.

Microorganisms must be named using binomial nomenclature, with the exception of viruses. Binomial nomenclature employs the names of the two lower level taxa, genus and species. Conventions when using binomial nomenclature include: genus comes before species and is always capitalized. Species name is never capitalized. Both names are always italicized. For example, Escherichia coli. If the name appears in several places in throughout the text you can abbreviate the genus name after it has been written in full length for the first time. For example, the abbreviation of Escherichia coli is E. coli. When specifying a particular strain, the genus name comes first, species name is second and strain name is last, followed by the serovar. The prefix subsp. is generally used to signify the strain. Everything should be italicized except the prefix subsp. and the serovar – Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Dublin. If the species is not fully identified, than the abbreviation “sp.” in the singular or “spp.” in the plural is used (e.g., Salmonella spp.). In this case, the name of the genus is written in italic, and sp. and spp. are written in normal font.

If figures are included, number them consecutively and give each a caption, as well as refer to them in your text by their number. Make sure that you include all the information necessary to interpret your figures. If figures are taken from other works, make sure you cite their original source.

Throughout this module, we have explored the dynamic roles of microbial ecosystems in nature and within the human body. Microorganisms are not only integral to environmental processes such as nutrient cycling, but also form complex communitiesour microbiomesthat influence human health, behavior, and disease.

For this reflection, consider the following:

How has your understanding of the human microbiome evolved throughout this module?

In what ways do you view yourself as part of a larger global microbial ecosystem?

How do your personal habits, environment, or lifestyle choices influence both your microbiome and the broader microbial communities with which you interact (for example, through diet, antibiotic use, environmental exposure)?

What ethical, societal, or environmental responsibilities do you think individuals have in maintaining or stewarding microbial diversityboth within themselves and in the world around them?

Your response should be approximately 23 pages (double-spaced) and should provide specific examples from course concepts, lectures, or readings to support your ideas. You should cite your sources in APA format. We use the book Prescotts Microbiology (12th ed.) by Joanne M. Willey https://www.scribd.com/document/761011005/Prescott-s-Microbiology-12th-edition-Chapter-26-27-28-29-30-31-32-33-34-and-39