3.0

credits

Average Course Rating

This is an introductory course open to all students regardless of intended major. No science background is required. This course covers concepts of biology taught through the lens of microbes and antibiotic resistance. Using environmental samples students actively engage in the hunt for novel antimicrobials. Broader concepts include the meaning of disease, how that meaning has changed over time, and the implications of widespread antibiotic resistance for society. This is a research-based project lab course in which students participate as part of an international consortium of undergraduates at other colleges. Students will isolate and characterize antibiotic-producing bacteria from the environment using modern molecular biological techniques. The course includes a lecture and two lab meetings per week.