This project is revitalizing the teaching of microbiology by implementing two novel approaches at the undergraduate liberal arts college level. The aim is to make connections between original questions in organismal and environmental biology, and the new molecular techniques that may be used to answer them. First, the microbiology laboratory course is being reconfigured to focus on enrichment, isolation, and culturing of metabolically and physiologically diverse microorganisms. This approach is motivated by the declining appreciation of microbial diversity by students who will be the scientists of tomorrow. The project seeks to familiarize students with methods to grow and handle strict anaerobes, phototrophs, thermophiles, and others. At the same time, training in techniques with which all microbiologists must be familiar, such as aseptic technique, quantitation of microbes, and isolation techniques, will be incorporated. Second, Microbiology is being linked to our Molecular Biology course through the use of molecular methods to identify microbial isolates. According to various estimates, perhaps less than 1 percent of bacterial species have been cultured in the laboratory; hence, microbiologists today are turning to other means for identifying microorganisms. The project introduces students to methods for amplifying ribosomal RNA genes by the polymerase chain reaction, cloning the amplified fragments, and sequencing the cloned fragments using thermal cyclers. With their sequence data, students can search databases, including a ribosomal RNA database, in order to identify isolates from Microbiology or organisms from enrichments or other samples. There is expected to be an increased interest in independent research by the students on the basic biology of "difficult" microorganisms. This expectation is based not only on the availability of equipment to study them, but also on a heretofore undeveloped appreciation of their significance.
