BIOL202

Week 1 Discussion: Introduce Yourself and Discuss the Scope and History of Microbiology

Contains unread posts

Virtual Introductions

and 

Exploring the Scope and History of Microbiology (Image credit: PowerPoint stock, n.d.)

Discussion Objectives

1. Introduce yourself to your classmates.

2. Examine and discuss the prompt, addressing the scope and history of Microbiology

Instructions:

· Your initial response to each discussion prompt must be posted by 11:59 p.m. ET on Wednesday each week, except for Week 1, when it is due by 11:59 p.m. ET on Sunday. 

· Initial responses must be original and demonstrate a thorough analysis of the topic. 

· Reply to at least two classmates in each discussion by 11:59 p.m. ET on Sunday. Responses should be substantial and advance the discussion. 

· All posts and replies for the week must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. ET on Sunday to receive credit.

· ⚠️Important! For Week 1, make sure your main post is at least 250 words and submitted no later than 11:59 p.m. ET Sunday of Week 1, or you will be automatically dropped from the course.

 

Discussion prompts:

Part 1:  Let's build relationships by introducing ourselves and sharing our backgrounds with one another.

·

· Name you prefer to be called

· Your picture (optional)

· Your major and year in school

· Your branch of service (if military)

· Your job title and a brief description of your job

· Where you live

· Why you are taking this class and what you hope to learn

· Your interests and hobbies

· Your future goals

· Anything else you would like us to know about yourself

Part 2: Scope and History: Tracing the Development of Microbiology

Scientific knowledge is not fixed. As new evidence becomes available, scientists may revise, refine, or expand previous ideas. The assigned article provides an example of how scientific understanding of the human microbiome has developed as researchers continue to investigate the relationships between microorganisms and human health. The article also demonstrates how scientific knowledge is connected across time and how the scope of microbiology extends across a wide range of disciplines and topics.

1. Read this assigned article:

Ogunrinola, G. A., Oyewale, J. O., Oshamika, O. O., & Olasehinde, G. I. (2020). The human microbiome and its impacts on health. International Journal of Microbiology, 2020, 8045646. https://doi.org/10.1155/2020/8045646

2. Use our Trefry Library, Google Scholar, PubMed, or Microsoft Copilot (accessed through the University) to find one peer-reviewed article that cites the assigned article by Ogunrinola et al. (2020) and is interesting to you. In other words, find a newer article in which the authors cite the assigned article as a source.

3. For example, you might use the Trefry Library’s feature noted in the screenshot above, or Google Scholar's "Cited by" feature and then select a relevant peer-reviewed article.

⚠️ Important note:  Any use of an AI tool or citation generator must be cited! Therefore, if Copilot is used, you must cite it and explain how you used it in accordance with the University’s guidelines in the "CYAC - Cover Your Academic Career Attributions" section at this link:   Gen AI in the Classroom

3. Explain one way the newer article expands, refines, or changes our understanding of the human microbiome. Focus on one connection between the assigned article and the newer research. You do not need to provide a detailed analysis of the newer article.

4. Explain why you were drawn to the article you selected.

5. Reflect: What does this example demonstrate about the scope or historical development of microbiology?

6. Include the full citation for your selected article with URL.

Week 3 Discussion: Your Favorite Virus

Your Favorite Virus

Discussion Objectives:

1. Describe the historical development of the Linnaean classification system and its limitations regarding viruses.

2. Explain why viruses require a distinct system of classification separate from cellular life forms.

3. Identify and classify a selected virus according to its host range, structure, and type of replication cycle.

4. Differentiate between the lytic and lysogenic viral life cycles.

5. Discuss the disease associated with your chosen virus and its biological significance.

*Please DO NOT post on the coronavirus-COVID-19* Any initial posts on coronavirus-COVID-19 will not receive credit. If you want to have peer-to-peer conversations on this topic (the instructor will  not be involved), you can have these in the Open Discussion/Lab Commons discussion, which is a non-graded discussion.

Instructions:

· Your initial response to each discussion prompt must be posted by 11:59 p.m. ET on Wednesday each week, except for Week 1, when it is due by 11:59 p.m. ET on Sunday. 

· Initial responses must be original and demonstrate a thorough analysis of the topic. 

· Reply to at least two classmates in each discussion by 11:59 p.m. ET on Sunday. Responses should be substantial and advance the discussion. 

· All posts and replies for the week must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. ET on Sunday to receive credit.

Discussion Prompts:

In week 3, we are studying the Linnaeus classification system. Unfortunately, during the time of Linnaeus, a good way to classify viruses was not present. In fact, viruses get to have their own system of classification altogether in many ways, because they straddle between alive and not alive. Most scientists consider viruses not alive, by definition. As intracellular parasites, a unique system of classification is necessary for the viruses to better understand them, how they replicate, what they infect, and if they have the ability to become lysogenic. 

1. For this discussion, select a virus that interests you from the list provided below and respond to the required questions below. In your post, describe how the virus is classified, identify what it infects, explain its type of replication cycle, and discuss the disease it causes.

2. Review the information available at NCBI Structure and Classification of Viruses. 

3. Do research to support your post to find your favorite virus to add additional information. Here is a list to help you choose.

Important notes!

· Make sure to choose a different virus from your classmates.

· Choose  only ONE: And no place holders will be accepted.

· Be aware that discussion forums record the time and date of all forum posts. It will record the time and date of a placeholder and the time and date of a later return to fill in a post.

· Placeholders will not receive credit.

· It is very important for this forum that you place the Name of the Virus in the Title of your forum post

· Before you choose your virus, check through the forums to make sure that the virus you have chosen is not already chosen.

Choose one virus topic from the list below to discuss: Notice that at the very end, after Topic 20, there is a link to Viral Zone. You may visit Viral Zone for a long and extensive list of viruses to choose from.  

     Topic 1. Chikungunya virus 

     Topic 2. Varicella-zoster virus

     Topic 3. Zika virus

     Topic 4. Rabies virus

     Topic 5. Borna disease virus

     Topic 6. Rubella virus 

     Topic 7. Epstein-Barr virus

     Topic 8. Parvovirus (B19) Fifth disease (humans)

     Topic 9. Parvovirus (canines)

     Topic 10. Feline Leukemia virus (cats)

     Topic 11. RSV

     Topic 12. Coxsackievirus 

     Topic 13. Hantavirus 

     Topic 14. Potato yellow dwarf virus 

     Topic 15. Tobacco mosaic virus 

     Topic 16. Cauliflower mosaic virus

     Topic 17. Dhori virus 

     Topic 18. Machupo virus 

     Topic 19. Rotavirus B

     Topic 20. Uukuniemi virus

     More... ViralZone  

Required questions to address:

1. What type of virus have you chosen (DNA or RNA)?

2. Is your virus single-stranded or double-stranded?

3. If RNA, is the strand + or -?

4. What species does the virus infect?

5. What are the life-cycle stages of the virus?

6. What disease does your virus cause?

Week 4 Assignment: Project Topic Proposal

Instructions

BIOL202 Week 4 Assignment: Project Topic Proposal Guidelines

Before you choose your topic, take a moment to look over the Week 7 Final Project Guidelines. 

The course project is a hypothetical experiment, so start thinking about that as you choose your topic.

In Week 7, you will further expand your topic into a hypothetical experiment, so think about that now.

Here is the list of topics that are amenable to hypothetical experiments. Choose one.

1. Yeast strains and beer flavors.

2. Adaptation of microalgae from seawater for biofuel production.

3. Coliform spread by common insects (houseflies, ants, cockroaches, etc.).

4. pH and growth/inhibition of bacteria.

5. How common is the presence of Staphylococcus aureus, and will common antiseptics/disinfectants kill them?

6. Spicy food and inhibition of pathogenic microbial growth.

7. Bacterial biofilms, development, role in disease, and management.

8. Molds, spores, and air quality control.

9. Deep Woods Off, Citronella, Bee Balm, and insect repellents; disease vectors and their hosts.

10. Pinworms, daycare, and the life cycle of helminths.

11. Instructor-approved topic (message instructor for approval).

Directions:

Choose one of the topics from the list above. If you have a topic of your own, message me for approval.

Prepare a presentation to introduce your topic. The presentation must contain a minimum of the following slides.

1. Element 1: A title slide

· The Title Slide must have an appropriate and well-chosen background that enhances the opening of the presentation.

· The color scheme of the presentation is appropriate and visually pleasing.

· *Any image enhancements used must include a descriptive title and appropriate legend.

· The font size and color choice of text are consistent and appropriate.

 

2. Element 2: Why you chose this topic-Rationale

· The rationale must address why the topic chosen is important for exploration, research, and academic endeavors.

· The rationale should address why the topic chosen is currently, may in the future, or is of particular interest to the student.

· The rationale must address why the topic chosen is of importance for the betterment of humanity.

 

3. Element 3: Background on the topic, supported by scholarly sources

· The background must be sourced from scholarly references.

· The background must provide substantial justification of its importance.

· The background must directly address the topic chosen.

· Correct scientific terminology must be utilized.

 

4. Element 4:  Proposed testable hypothesis

· Provide your proposed testable hypothesis

· Here is a quick refresher on the Scientific Method

· Review the following help on how to formulate a testable hypothesis:

· Constructing a Hypothesis

· How to Formulate a Hypothesis

Read on

Speakers' notes should not be used and will not substitute for the content required on slides.

You are using scholarly sources, so make sure to include both properly formatted in-text citations and an APA-formatted reference list (you'll need a separate and last slide for the reference list).

We utilize APA format in the class. If you need a review of APA formatting guidelines, see here: Purdue OWL.

Make sure to look over the grading rubric attached below so you have everything required.

Credit will be awarded for scholarly sources only. Visit the APUS Trefry Library to find scholarly sources to use for your project. If you need help, reach out to the staff Librarians using the ‘Ask a Librarian’ link on the Trefry Library’s main page.

Use sources from academic, peer-reviewed journals.

Here's a good review of scholarly versus popular sources.

A scholarly source is a source that comes from an academic journal and is original, peer-reviewed research.

Note: project topic submissions are not accepted for credit after the final project or with the final project- it is understood that the project topic submission MUST be submitted BEFORE the final project in order to receive constructive feedback with time between to formulate the final project.

* Use images and diagrams for the project topic only if necessary to discuss a major point and not as decorations to slides. See the Week 7 sample project for how to properly add a title and legend.

 

Evaluation:

Review the grade rubric attached below for how your Project topic submission will be graded.

 

Submission Instructions:

Upload your PowerPoint presentation to the appropriate Assignments area.

Copyleaks

Your assignment submission will be scanned by Copyleaks, which checks for originality, potential AI use, and grammar usage (if enabled). After you submit your assignment, you will receive a Copyleaks report that you can use to make improvements to your work. It is the University’s policy that Assignments have unlimited submissions. This means that you may submit repeatedly leading up to the assignment's due date, using each preliminary submission to guide and improve your writing. Your final submission prior to the due date is what will be graded by the instructor. Mark preliminary uploads you are still working on as "Draft" and the last upload you intend for your instructor to grade as "Final" to avoid confusion. 

Important Notes:

· Submissions after the due date are not graded immediately by default and are subject to the university's late policy.

· After each submission, it can take up to 15 minutes for the Copyleaks report to be generated.

This assignment assesses CO-4 and CO-6.

Week 5 Discussion: Immunity and Probiotics

Immunity and Probiotics

Discussion Objectives:

· Explain the role of probiotics and their potential influence on the human immune system.

· Describe the proposed biological mechanisms by which probiotics may affect immune function.

· Evaluate the scientific evidence supporting or refuting probiotic health claims in marketed food products.

· Differentiate between scientifically validated probiotic effects and marketing strategies designed to promote sales.

· Identify the microbial component common to probiotic products and its relevance to human health.

Instructions:

· Your initial response to each discussion prompt must be posted by 11:59 p.m. ET on Wednesday each week, except for Week 1, when it is due by 11:59 p.m. ET on Sunday. 

· Initial responses must be original and demonstrate a thorough analysis of the topic. 

· Reply to at least two classmates in each discussion by 11:59 p.m. ET on Sunday. Responses should be substantial and advance the discussion. 

· All posts and replies for the week must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. ET on Sunday to receive credit.

Discussion Prompts:

We have all heard about the variety of foods that claim to improve our health in some way or another. Of keen interest is to improve our immune system by consuming certain foods. A key term that has come into use is Probiotics. Yogurt, especially those that state active live cultures, claim to boost our immune system, but are these claims true? Are the advertising and marketing of these products true to their claims?

Immunity is not a single or simple process but a complex and ever-changing system. In order to better understand what or if superfoods exist that could potentially improve immunity, it is necessary to address which part of the immune system these foods might exert any effect on. Is it possible to eat a food or foods that enhance our immunity? Are there any scholarly studies to support such claims? 

· Review Chapters 17 and 18 of your textbook for a review of Innate and Adaptive Host Defenses.

· And then visit  Harvard Health Publication

· The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition

· For this discussion, choose ONE of the following products. Each of them claims they are probiotic. Do some research on it to determine if it has any scientific validity or if the probiotic keyword is a marketing strategy used to get attention and boost sales.

Choose only one product from the list below to discuss :

     Topic 1. Activia - Federal Trade Commission

     Topic 2. Kimchi - Does kimchi Lactobacilli survive the stomach acid?

     Topic 3. Kefir - Frontiers in Microbiology

     Topic 4. Kombucha - NCBI PubMed

· Research and support your post.

Required questions to address:

1. On which part of immunity or our immune system might probiotics exert an effect, if any?

2. Explain the proposed mechanism(s) of how probiotics work?

3. Does one have to buy a special brand of the products for it to work?

4. You only chose one of the topics, but what is the common denominator among all of them (it's a microbe)?

Week 7 Assignment: Project

Instructions

BIOL202 Week 7 Assignment: Project

In Week 4, you submitted your project topic submission as a short presentation. In Week 7, you will pick up where you left off and complete the rest of your project. You already have a title, rationale, background, and proposed hypothesis prepared, so from here, you will flesh out the remainder of the project as a hypothetical protocol to experimentally address the topic you chose to explore in your project.

***Keep in mind*** You are NOT actually performing experiments as part of this final project. This is a hypothetical project.

Below is the recommended minimum slide layout for your presentation. For the week 7 Project, Scholarly References must be included both in-text and in a reference element at the end of your presentation. A minimum of three scholarly references is expected for your project. Make sure to properly reference the sources you use. I strongly recommend that you design your own hypothetical experiment, and it is required that you design your own hypothetical data for this final project (hypothetical graphs, charts, etc.), which are required in the data section.

For all images, charts, and graphs, a descriptive title and legend must be included, as well as any source citations.

Read On

Think through what you plan to propose for your project. It must be a reasonable experiment. It must be something that could be performed experimentally. Find and review scholarly articles that are closely related to what you propose, as these will be most helpful as you plan out yours.

There is a sample project you can look over to give you an idea of what a hypothetical project should look like. Take some time to look this over to give you an idea of what a basic hypothetical project looks like.

Most of you will likely propose in-vitro types of hypothetical experiments; however, if you decide to propose anything that includes animals, humans, or otherwise, be aware of the appropriate ethical guidelines and make sure to address them.

· IACUC Guidelines 

· Human Subjects 

Directions for your Project

Compose and hypothetically carry out protocols to experimentally address the topic you chose (these are the minimums)

· Include the slides from week 4 (These were the Introduction, Rationale, and Background slides)

· Finalized Testable Hypothesis (Be sure to review your instructor’s feedback from Week 4 to help you finalize your hypothesis!)

· Materials (list the materials you will need)

· Methods (describe how you will carry out the experiments)

· Identify the independent and dependent variables and the control

· Expected data (describe the details of what your EXPECT will be the outcome of your experiments)

· Data (present the data, show charts, graphs, images, etc. from the hypothetical experiments)

· Conclusions (draw the conclusions from your data-only the direct conclusions)

· References (Scholarly references, three minimum and in APA format)

You will need a  minimum of 12 slides to complete this presentation.

See the sample PDF attached below for what one of these presentations looks like.

Do not copy the sample presentation in part or all! No credit for your presentation will be granted for copies!

If any part of your presentation is copied from the sample, you will receive a zero for this assignment. 

Prepare your presentation in a presentation format.

· Use short, descriptive phrases

· Bulleted points on the slides are expected; avoid blocks of text

· Use declarative statements, be succinct, and most of all, be clear and direct

Additional Help

· Here is a quick refresher on the Scientific Method

· Review the following help on how to formulate a testable hypothesis:

· Constructing a Hypothesis

· How to Formulate a Hypothesis

· Learn about variables and controls in your experimental design here:

· Biology: Independent vs. Dependent Variables

· Controlled Experiments - Overview and content Vocabulary

· Biology: Controlled Experiments

 

Evaluation:  

Make sure to look over the grade rubric attached below for how your Project will be graded.

Submission Instructions:

Upload the PowerPoint presentation file in the appropriate Assignments area.

 

Copyleaks

Your assignment submission will be scanned by Copyleaks, which checks for originality, potential AI use, and grammar usage (if enabled). After you submit your assignment, you will receive a Copyleaks report that you can use to make improvements to your work. It is the University’s policy that Assignments have unlimited submissions. This means that you may submit repeatedly leading up to the assignment's due date, using each preliminary submission to guide and improve your writing. Your final submission prior to the due date is what will be graded by the instructor. Mark preliminary uploads you are still working on as "Draft" and the last upload you intend for your instructor to grade as "Final" to avoid confusion. 

Important Notes:

· Submissions after the due date are not graded immediately by default and are subject to the university's late policy.

· After each submission, it can take up to 15 minutes for the Copyleaks report to be generated.

This assignment assesses CO-4 and CO-7.

Week 8 Discussion: Share Project and Course Reflection

Share Project and Course Reflection

Discussion Objectives:

· Reflect on laboratory experiments conducted throughout the course, noting which techniques were most effective and which presented challenges.

· Explain why your selected project topic is relevant to your current or future career.

· Apply microbiological methods and concepts to real-world or professional contexts.

· Present your project findings and key insights to your classmates.

· Summarize a scholarly source used in your project and describe how it contributed to your understanding of the topic.

Instructions:

· Your initial response to each discussion prompt must be posted by 11:59 p.m. ET on Wednesday each week, except for Week 1, when it is due by 11:59 p.m. ET on Sunday. 

· Initial responses must be original and demonstrate a thorough analysis of the topic. 

· Reply to at least two classmates in each discussion by 11:59 p.m. ET on Sunday. Responses should be substantial and advance the discussion. 

· All posts and replies for the week must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. ET on Sunday to receive credit.

Discussion Prompts:

For the past seven weeks, you have conducted lab experiments to learn about the world of microbes, are working on the last lab for the class, and submitted your Project last week based on a topic you found most relevant and felt would be most useful and applicable to your career.

· For the last discussion in week 8, let's share our projects so your classmates can take a look and discuss why you chose this particular topic as a project, what techniques apply to your present or future career, and how you plan to use these newly learned skills. 

· Attach your presentation to your post.

· Address the required questions and elements.

Required questions and elements:

1. What laboratory experiments did and did not work well for you?

2. Why you chose the topic of your project.

3. How your project topic is relevant to your present or future career.

4. Include at least one source cited in your post, from your project, that you found most useful in understanding the background on your topic.

5. Describe how you used the source and briefly summarize it in two to three sentences.