Microbiology
BIO-372
- Louis Pasteur (1822 - 1895)
Wednesday 16:15-18:00 in room CE 2 (lectures)
SUPPLEMENTAL READING: Living
at Micro Scale: the Unexpected Physics of Being Small, by Dusenberry DB, published by Harvard University
Press, Cambridge, MA USA © 2011.
- Schedule_BIO-372_2025 (File)
- Syllabus_BIO-372_2025 (File)
- Student-Photos_BIO-372_2025 (File)
- BIO-372 Forum (Forum)
- Announcements (Forum)
2025.02.19 (16:15-18:00) LECTURES (CE 2)
“LIVING AT MICRO SCALE”
BACKGROUND READING: Brock Biology of Microorganisms [15th edition], Chapter 1 "The Microbial World" (pp. 1-33).
SUPPLEMENTAL READING: Why size matters: from bacteria to blue whales, by Bonner JT, published by Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ USA © 2006.
___- Introduction_Week01 (File)
- Lectures_Week01 (File)
- Exercises_Week01 (File)
- Exercises_Week01 (File)
- Exercises_Rubric_Week01 (File)
2025.02.26 (16:15-18:00) LECTURES (CE 2)
“BIOMECHANICS OF THE BACTERIAL CELL ENVELOPE”
BACKGROUND READING: Brock Biology of Microorganisms [15th edition], Chapter 2 "Microbial Cell Structure and Function" Section I "Cells of Bacteria and Archaea" (pp. 34-39) and Section II "The Cell Membrane and Wall" (pp. 39-48).
SUPPLEMENTAL READING: Morris et al. (2008) Toward a biomechanical understanding of whole bacterial cells. Annu Rev Biochem 77: 583-613 PMID: 18355161.
___- Lectures_Week02 (File)
- Exercises_Week02 (File)
- Exercises_Week02 (File)
- Exercises_Rubric_Week02 (File)
2025.03.05 (16:15-18:00) LECTURES (CE 2)
“BIOMECHANICS OF THE BACTERIAL CYTOSKELETON”
BACKGROUND READING: Brock Biology of Microorganisms [15th edition], Chapter 7 "Molecular Biology of Microbial Growth" (pp. 202-222).
SUPPLEMENTAL READING: Morris et al. (2008) Towards
a biomechanical understanding of whole bacterial cells. Annu Rev Biochem
77: 583-613 PMID: 18355161.
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- Lectures_Week03 (File)
- Exercises_Week03 (File)
- Exercises_Week03 (File)
- Exercises_Rubric_Week03 (File)
- Movie_Slide18 (File)
- Movie_Slide39 (File)
2025.03.12 (16:15-18:00) MINIPROJECTS (CE 2)
“WORK ON MINIPROJECTS”
SPECIAL EVENT: EPFL SUSTAINABLE INNOVATION CHALLENGE
2025.03.13 & 2025.03.14
ROLEX LEARNING CENTER
URL: https://epfl-sic.ch/
SEE LINK TO PRESENTATION BELOW
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- EPFL SUSTAINABLE INNOVATION CHALLENGE (File)
- Miniproject_Instructions (File)
- Poster_Template (File)
- Poster_Print_Instructions (File)
- Poster_Print_Form (File)
- REPRO_Poster_Print (File)
- Miniproject Presentation (Examples from Previous Years) (Folder)
- Miniproject Poster (Examples from Previous Years) (Folder)
2025.03.19 (16:15-18:00) LECTURES (CE 2)
"TRANSPORT ACROSS THE BACTERIAL CELL ENVELOPE"
BACKGROUND READING: Brock Biology of Microorganisms [15th edition], Chapter 4 "Molecular Information Flow and Protein Processing" (pp. 102-136).
SUPPLEMENTAL READING:
- Exam_Instructions_Week05 (File)
- Lectures_Week05 (File)
- Exercises_Week05 (File)
- Exercises_Week05 (File)
- Exercises_Rubric_Week05 (File)
- Movie_Slide38 (File)
2025.03.26 (16:15-18:00) LECTURES (CE 2)
"BIOMECHANICS OF MICROBIAL SURFACE APPENDAGES"
BACKGROUND READING: Brock Biology of Microorganisms [15th edition], Chapter 2 "Microbial Cell Structure and Function" Section III "Cell Surface Structures and Inclusions" (pp. 48-56) and Chapter 25 "Microbial Infection and Pathogenesis" Section I "Human-Microbial Interaction" (pp. 758-764).
SUPPLEMENTAL READING:
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- Lectures_Week06 (File)
- Exercises_Week06 (File)
- Exercises_Week06 (File)
- Exercises_Rubric_Week06 (File)
- Movie_Slide19a (File)
- Movie_Slide19b (File)
- Movie_Slide20 (File)
- Movie_Slide38 (File)
- Movie_Slide46 (File)
- Movie_Slide56 (File)
2025.04.02 (16:15-18:00) LECTURES (CE 2)
“BACTERIAL MOTILITY AND CHEMOTAXIS”
BACKGROUND READING: Brock Biology of Microorganisms [15th edition], Chapter 2 "Microbial Cell Structure and Function" Section IV "Cell Locomotion" (pp. 56-64).
SUPPLEMENTAL READING: Jarrell et al. (2008) The surprisingly diverse ways that prokaryotes move. Nat Rev Microbiol 6(6): 466-476 PMID: 18461074. Lauga et al. (2009) The hydrodynamics of swimming microorganisms. Rep Prog Phys 72(9): 096601 doi:10.1088/0034-4885/72/9/096601.
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- Lectures_Week07 (File)
- Exercises_Week07 (File)
- Exercises_Week07 (File)
- Exercises_Rubric_Week07 (File)
- Movie_Slide02 (File)
- Movie_Slide08 (File)
- Movie_Slide10 (File)
- Movie_Slide14 (File)
- Movie_Slide28 (File)
- Movie_Slide32 (File)
2025.04.09 (16:15-18:00) MINIPROJECTS (CE 2)
“WORK ON MINIPROJECTS”
___2025.04.16 (16:15-18:00) LECTURES (CE 2)
“GLOBAL CARBON CYCLE AND METABOLIC SYMBIOSIS”
BACKGROUND READING:
Brock Biology of Microorganisms [15th edition], Chapter 3 "Microbial Metabolism" (pp. 73-101).
Brock Biology of Microorganisms [15th edition], Chapter 14 "Metabolic Diversity of Microorganisms" (pp. 392-450).
Brock Biology of Microorganisms [15th edition], Chapter 21 "Nutrient Cycles" (pp. 651-671).
Brock Biology of Microorganisms [15th edition], Chapter 23 "Microbial Symbioses with Microbes, Plants, and Animals" (pp. 696-728).
SUPPLEMENTAL READING:
Martin et al. (2014) Energy at life's origin: analysis of the bioenergetics of primitive organisms suggests that life began at hydrothermal vents. Science 344: 1092-1093 PMID: 24904143.
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- Exam_Instructions_Week09 (File)
- Lectures_Week09 (File)
- Exercises_Week09 (File)
- Exercises_Week09 (File)
- Exercises_Rubric_Week09 (File)
“NO CLASSES THIS WEEK - SPRING SEMESTER BREAK”
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2025.04.30 (16:15-18:00) LECTURES (CE 2)
“GLOBAL NITROGEN CYCLE AND METABOLIC SYMBIOSIS”
BACKGROUND READING:
Brock Biology of Microorganisms [15th edition], Chapter 3 "Microbial Metabolism" (pp. 73-101).
Brock Biology of Microorganisms [15th edition], Chapter 14 "Metabolic Diversity of Microorganisms" (pp. 392-450).
Brock Biology of Microorganisms [15th edition], Chapter 21 "Nutrient Cycles" (pp. 651-671).
Brock Biology of Microorganisms [15th edition], Chapter 23 "Microbial Symbioses with Microbes, Plants, and Animals" (pp. 696-728).
SUPPLEMENTAL READING:
Fiore et al. (2010) Nitrogen fixation and nitrogen transformations in marine symbioses. Trends in Microbiology 18(10): 455-463 PMID: 20674366.
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- Lectures_Week10 (File)
- Exercises_Week10 (File)
- Exercises_Week10 (File)
- Exercises_Rubric_Week10 (File)
2025.05.07 (16:15-18:00) LECTURES (CE 2)
“GENETIC NETWORKS IN BACTERIAL SPORULATION”
BACKGROUND READING:- Lectures_Week11 (File)
- Exercises_Week11 (File)
- Exercises_Week11 (File)
- Exercises_Rubric_Week11 (File)
- Movie_Slide06 (File)
- Movie_Slide28 (File)
2025.05.14 (16:15-18:00) MINIPROJECTS (CE 2)
“WORK ON MINIPROJECTS”
2025.05.21 (16:15-18:00) MINIPROJECTS (CE 2)
“WORK ON MINIPROJECTS”
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2025.05.28 (16:15-18:00) POSTER SESSION (CE 2)
“MINIPROJECT PRESENTATIONS AND POSTER SESSION”
___“NO CLASSES THIS WEEK - SPRING SEMESTER BREAK”
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