[bioundgrd] FW: Advanced Undergrad Seminar Course 7.343 - Sophisticated Survival Skills of Simple Microorganisms

[MacKenzie Outlund]

Undergrads, Please consider this seminar course, detailed below.  Prof.
Robert Horvitz has said, about the advanced undergraduate seminars:

> These courses offer a number of special features:  small class size, a high
> degree of personal contact with the instructor, a focus on the primary
> research literature, and an opportunity to discuss current problems in biology
> interactively.  I believe these courses greatly enrich an undergraduate¹s
> experience.  There are limited alternative opportunities available to
> undergraduates to interact closely with instructors who are experienced
> full-time researchers; to learn to read, understand, and analyze primary
> research papers; and to engage in the type of stimulating discussions and
> debates that characterize how science is really done. 
----


> From: Adrienne A Dolberry <dolberry at MIT.EDU>
> Subject: Advanced Undergrad Seminar Course 7.343 - Sophisticated Survival
> Skills of Simple Microorganisms
> 
> Below are the course
> summary, topics and prerequisite. Time and date are flexible to accommodate
> students' schedules. Attached is the course ad.
> 
> Sincerely,
> 
> Adrienne


> 
> Instructor: Adrienne A Dolberry
> Contact info: dolberry at mit.edu, x3-1969 or x3-8686
> Course Website: http://stellar.mit.edu/S/course/7/sp08/7.343/index.html
> Lecture:  R11-1 -flexible to accommodate more students (68-151)
> 
> Information:
> 
> Course Summary
> 
> The ability of bacterial cells to acclimate to unfavorable growth conditions
> has
> allowed such ?simple? microorganisms to thrive in environments uninhabitable
> by more complicated forms of life. By studying bacteria such as Escherichia
> coli, Bacillus subtilis and others under conditions of extreme heat, artic
> temperatures, high light and acidic surroundings, researchers have identified
> and characterized genes involved in the acclimation of such microorganisms to
> and survival under stressful environments. How might organisms that are
> experts
> in cold acclimation, such as species of Psychrobacter bacteria from the
> Arctic,
> help us to identify life on Mars? What types of cellular morphologies do
> pathogenic Escherichia coli assume when they contaminate your apple cider? How
> do starvation and light stresses control primary energy production in lakes
> and
> ponds?
> 
> In this course, we will discuss the microbial physiology and genetics of
> stress
> responses in aquatic ecosystems, astrobiology, bacterial pathogenesis and the
> food industry. We will learn about classical and novel methods utilized by
> researchers to uncover bacterial mechanisms induced under both general and
> environment-specific stresses. Finally, we will compare and contrast models
> for
> bacterial stress responses to gain an understanding of distinct mechanisms of
> survival and of why there are differences among bacterial genera.
> 
> 
> 'Stressed-Out' Topics Include:
> -Survival in Deep-Sea Vents
> -Bacteria and Food Contamination/Preparation
> -Astrobiology
> -Pathogenesis
> -Chromate/Heavy Metal Pollution
> 
> 
> Prerequisite
> 
> 7.03
> 
> 7.13 and 7.21 are helpful for the course but not required.
> 
> 
> Adrienne A. Dolberry
> Postdoctoral Associate
> Chisholm Laboratory
> Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
> Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
> 48-208, 15 Vassar Street
> Cambridge, MA 02139
> USA

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