MARI 3101

Microbial Ecology

Lec 01 and Tut T01 selected

Lectures on the ecology of bacteria, viruses, protists. Community structure, food web nutrient cycling, biogeochemical cycles, competition, succession and symbiosis are discussed with examples from marine, fresh-water and soil habitats. There is an emphasis on marine organisms.

Sections

Lecture
Tutorial

From the syllabus

From the Fall 2026 syllabus by Julie LaRoche. Open the PDF

Grading

5%Assignment 1: Phylogenetic tree
8%Assignment 2: Microbial genomic assignmentPart 1: 5%; Part 2: 3%
15%Midterm 1Covers weeks 1–5
8%Assignment 3: Microbial community structure
9%Assignment 4: Carpenter ant microbiomePart 1: 2%; Part 2: 7%
15%Assignment 5: Microbes, climate and anthropogenic changeTopic selection: 2%; write-up: 6%; presentations: 7%
10%Quizzes (10)Weekly in-class quizzes; maximum 10 points
30%Final examCumulative; mostly weeks 6–10

Textbook

  • Brock Biology of Microorganisms, 16th edition, Michael T. Madigan, Kelly S. Bender, Daniel H. Buckley, W. Matthew Sattley, and David A. Stahl (optional)

Course rules

Attendance
Attendance is mandatory during the student presentation period.
Late work
Submit late assignments rather than not submitting; contact the instructor if illness or personal reasons cause delays.
Absences
Students may submit a Student Declaration of Absence form twice during the course for late assignments.
Illness
Stay home when ill and contact the instructor and TA for make-up material.
AI tools
AI may be used as a learning tool, but AI-generated work cannot be submitted as your own and all tools must be acknowledged.
Classroom conduct
Use devices only for in-class exercises.

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