Micro debate fall 2008 - Left to right: Phillip Knight, Misty Denham-Barrett, Kate Desmond, Kristyn Loughery, Leena Raju, Sam Nieves, Heather Pratt, Abby Rhoads and Mike Stankovich

Assignments: There are three assignments associated with the course. The allotted time given for the completion of each assignment is one week to ten days. If you are unable to complete the assignment in the given time due to illness or personal emergency, it is your responsibility to contact me at least 3 days prior to the deadline date for the submission of the assignment either by voice or E-mail.  If you are absent from classes it is your responsibility to find out any assignments due that week. Uncompleted assignments will obtain a zero grade.

Microbiology Assignments – Spring 2009- Each assignment has THREE possible choices of topic

Assignment 1

First draft – due February 12^th Final draft – due February 26^th  

 TOPIC 1

Most microbes on our planet are not harmful towards either plant or animal life. Indeed, many microbes have proven useful to man over the years including yeasts, with which bread, wine and beer are made and Lactobacilli, which are used in cheese production.

Select a microbial species or family OTHER THAN THOSE LISTED ABOVE which man has used to either improve his environment or way of life. Explain how these benefits were originally discovered, the process for which they are used, where in the environment they can be found and why this species/family is important.

Grading and purpose: This assignment is worth a total of 50 marks; 40 points discussing the relevance of the microbe you have chosen and 10 for correct use of grammar and spelling.

TOPIC 2

Describe the ways in which transgenic microbes can be created, giving examples and uses of at least THREE microbes, explain how their creation is regulated and discuss the benefits and drawbacks the use of these microbes might have on our environment.

Grading and purpose: This assignment is worth a total of 50 marks; 40 points discussing the creation, regulation and impact of transgenic organisms and 10 for correct use of grammar and spelling.

TOPIC 3

From the links page, select a famous microbiologist or a group of scientists whose contribution to the field has made a profound impact. You have to imagine you are a science correspondent for a newspaper (e.g. Time, Philadelphia Enquirer) and have been asked to write an article about this person/people. This may either be an obituary or an interview.

Objectives: Think of this as a who/what/why paper

1.      Who was this person or people? (Occupation, where did they live, at what period in history)

2.       Why did they head in this direction in science? (Accident, chance observation, field of research already in progress and they jumped on the bandwagon?)

3.       What impact did it make on microbiology? (Was it immediately heralded as important, lost for a long time?) and what were its subsequent developments. Imagine what science would have been like without it to try and interpret its importance

Style: As a reporter, you are going to have to explain the discovery in such a way as to make it easily understood by your readers. You can use diagrams to illustrate your explanation, photos etc. Also, it HAS to sound interesting and to have had a profound impact or nobody will want to read your story. Also, tell me which paper you are writing for.

Grading criteria: This assignment is worth a total of 60 points of which 28 are for writing style and the remaining 32 for content

Assignment 2

First draft – due March 12^th  Final draft – due April 9^th

TOPIC 1

Description: Our culture has been shaped by voyages made by traders, missionaries and explorers to new and distant areas of the globe. On many occasions, however, these resulted in epidemics, which decimated the local inhabitants. Discuss the historical impact of these epidemics and the factors involved in the sudden outbreaks of disease in previously unexposed populations.

Next, select ONE voyage and imagine you are an immunologist/physician amongst the travelers. Bearing in mind the medical capabilities of the time, what would you do to help the islanders once they become ill? How are you going to limit the spread of the infection?

Objectives: You have 2 separate parts to the essay

First: A review of the voyages of discovery, which have resulted in epidemic-scale death and disease amongst local natives. You will need to spend some time explaining why these diseases proved so threatening to the natives. This will mean going through what occurs when the immune system meets an invader for the first time and how the body responds to it (specific immunity). What was tried in the past to prevent epidemics? What could we do now against these diseases?

Second:  You need to select one of these voyages and explain what could have been done to prevent what happened. Think in terms of medication (drugs, antibiotics) or vaccination. Also (very importantly) you need to find out what was available at the time (i.e. prevailing wisdom about the disease and how it was transmitted). You also need some “background” about the voyage (reason people were going, historical events etc.)

Strategy for completion of assignment:

Use your imagination: Put yourself in the position of the person on the voyage. What might it have felt like to go to an unknown place? (Your hopes, fears etc.) Also how do you feel about the people you are about to encounter?

Documentation style: The first section has to be scientifically accurate, the second has to be written in one of three styles: -

Diary style (journal)

Memo style (as if reporting back to a commanding officer or head office)

Letter to a relative

TOPIC 2

You are a medical/ environmental expert with the CDC being sent to an area in which an outbreak of a particular protozoal infection has occurred. This could be a third world country or somewhere in the US. Select an organism, explaining how it is transmitted and how it could be detected using simple ways to both educate the local population to minimize this recurring: You need to document in either a) memo/letter or b) speech format your plans to reduce the incidence of protozoal infection in your chosen country

Grading and purpose: The idea of this assignment is to introduce you to a more global perspective of the subject of Microbiology. Having expensive, functional therapeutic agents is great in countries which can afford to purchase them for the treatment of their populations but has little relevance for those of the third world where these diseases cause untold suffering. The assignment is worth a total of 50 points; 30 for dealing with the protozoans involved, 10 for explaining how to overcome problems and 10 for grammar and spelling.

TOPIC 3

You are a researcher in a pharmaceutical laboratory and your boss has asked you to think of a novel way of combating a microbe or family of microbes, with the idea of designing a novel antimicrobial agent. He is not concerned as to which you choose, only that it has to be one that causes a lot of illness and suffering or it will not prove commercially viable. For this assignment, begin by selecting one of the bacteria, fungi or protozoa you have heard about during the course and explaining why it would be suitable for this project. Next identify some feature about it, such as a surface component, metabolic pathway or virulence factor that you think you could use and document your ideas in a memo to your boss. Remember you have to really SELL your idea for this product or the company will not work to develop it!

Grading and purpose: This assignment is designed to make you think about how new drug concepts are thought up and developed. It is worth a total of 50 points; 25 for discussing why your choice of microbe is an important one, 15 for the new drug design and 10 for spelling and grammar.

Assignment 3 - Oral Debate on April 30^th; 9 students

All three of the living microbial kingdoms, bacteria, fungi and protozoa co-exist on our planet. If a global catastrophe were to occur, and only ONE of these could be preserved, which would you choose?

Strategy: There will be three groups of three and each group will be assigned one microbial kingdom. One person in each group will speak about the positive aspects of their kingdom. The other(s) will be asked to speak on the negative aspects of each of the other two microbial kingdoms. Both people in the group will also act as scribes and write out the “speeches” they will be making. Remember each group stands/falls on the basis of ALL its members.

When preparing your argument for your microbial kingdom, think about the following: -

1.       What would life be like without it?

2.       Why is it “better” than the other two kingdoms? (number of beneficial organisms in that kingdom versus detrimental ones)

3.       Their relative importance to the planet and to man

Grading: Following all the arguments, the class will vote on which microbial kingdom should be retained. Final grading of the presentations will be based on style, content and persuasive argument and will be by the instructor.

Assignment 3B - Individual oral presentations; 9 students each of whom will present on interesting fungal, protozoal and viral infections not all of which are covered in depth in this course. A discussion of the incidence, pathology, treatment and prognosis for these infections will be made and presenters should expect to take about 10-15 minutes with 5 minutes for questions

1.      Rachel Tachayapong - Aspergillosis – deadly disease affecting people with organ transplants and immunosuppressed http://www.emedicine.com/med/topic174.htm

2.      Alona Kannadan – Mucormycosis – major problem in poorly controlled diabetes http://www.emedicine.com/OPH/topic225.htm

3.      Carson Mumma – Ergotism – poisoning via contaminated rye that produces hallucinations http://www.fkog.uu.se/course/essays/secale_cornutum.pdf

4.      Sarah Corry – Toxoplasmosis – protozoan often acquired from cats in the US that is also a teratogen http://www.emedicine.com/EMERG/topic601.htm

5.      Kelly Eddinger – tick-borne protozoan infection that kills elderly and immunocompromised http://www.emedicine.com/EMERG/topic49.htm

6.      Jamie Stabile – Acanthamoeba keratinitis – protozoan often acquired through contaminated contact lens solution that can cause blindness http://www.emedicine.com/MED/topic10.htm

7.      Emily Marmarou – Hepatitis C – transmitted via blood (needle stick/ IVDU) this can cause loss of liver function http://www.emedicine.com/MED/topic993.htm

8.      Kelly Dallas – Rabies – rare but old disease in the US this is now often transmitted by raccoons http://www.emedicine.com/emerg/TOPIC493.HTM

9.      Samantha Aaronson – Dengue Fever – probably the most common and worst mosquito-borne illness in the world next to malaria http://www.emedicine.com/emerg/TOPIC124.HTM

Assignment 3C - For all those not involved in either individual oral presentations or the oral debate on April 30^th please choose from one of the following topics and write a 3-5 page paper citing at least 3 references (on-line may also be used)

1.       You have been called on to prevent outbreaks of staphylococcal scalded skin syndrome in the nursery of a hospital where an MRSA strain of S. aureus has been isolated. Explain what this organisms is, your main concerns and what procedures you would establish to address them

2.       Explain the historical world impact made by epidemic typhus, discussing the disease’s mode of transmission, symptoms and disease progression. Describe how this disease was finally brought under control, explaining current methods of treatment

3.       Examine the historical impact of polio, including early preventative attempts and determine the current progress in eradicating the disease from developing nations

4.       Conduct an on-line search for emerging protozoan pathogens. Identify five of these species and make notes of the sources of infection and diseases caused

5.       Other than Lyme disease there are a number of bacterial infections carried by ticks. Select one of these and describe the history of its discovery, current statistics and what can be done to combat the infection

6.       Explain the role of DNA viruses in cancers, citing at least three examples

7.       Explain the possible involvement of chlamydias in arteriosclerosis and/or heart disease