Microbiology MOOC Newsletters

Monday, March 23, 2015

Student Timeline

Thursday, April 19, 2012

Daily Newsletter April 19, 2012

Today's Topic: Tuberculosis

Readings:
Tuberculosis
CDC Website for Tuberculosis. Check out some of the links to learn more about Tuberculosis.
Mycobacterium Tuberculosis
Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Tuberculosis

Tuberculosis is a disease that is still endemic (always present). It is also one of the most highly contagious disease. The infectious does can be a low as one bacterium making it all the way to an aveolus in the lung. Because it is so infectious and contagious, it is a disease that medical personel take very seiously.

Daily Challenge: Write about Mycobacterium tuberculosis and the disease Tuberculosis. One challenge with the organism is that the human body has a hard time eliminating it, so you may want to look into why it is so hard for the body to eliminate.

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Daily Newsletter April 18, 2012

Today's Topic: Neisseria gonorrhoeae

Suggested Reading:
Gonorrhea - CDC Fact Sheet
Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID)
Gonorrhea Laboratory Information: Characteristics of N. gonorrhoeae and Related Species of Human Origin
Gonorrhoea (Neisseria gonorrhoeae) in the United States

Daily Challenge: Neisseria gonorrhoeae
Write about Neisseria gonorrhoeae. Discuss the organism, the diseases it causes, and how it can reinfect the same host.

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Daily Newsletter April 17, 2012

Daily Topic: Nosicomial Infections (specifically Staphyloccocus aureus)

Nosicomial refers to infections that are acquired in health-care environments.
Suggested Readings:

Healthcare-associated Infections (HAI)

CDC website on HAI or NOsicomial Infections. This is a good start point for your readings.

HAIs: The Burden
Staphylococcus aureus in Healthcare Settings
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)
Vancomycin-intermediate Staphylococcus aureus and Vancomycin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus

Daily Challenge: Discuss the concept of nosicomial infections and specifically the diseases that can be caused by hospital acquired Staphylococcus aureus. Relate this to the concepts of microbial control, and why it is important to practice medicine underdisinfected and/or sterilized condition.

Monday, April 16, 2012

Daily Newsletter April 16, 2012

Special Announcement: All blogs this week are worth 6pts. They must be uploaded by Sunday April 22.

Today's Topic: Flu

Reading: Seasonal Flu: The Basics
This is a CDC website on the flu. Browse the topics and read about the flu.

Genetics of the Influenza Virus
A good short article on influenza genetics and why it is constantly changing.

Daily Challenge: Flu
Write about the flu. Discuss the different aspects including signs and symptoms (what are signs and what are symptoms?). Discuss the changes in the flu virus from a genetics perspective, and look at public health concerns.

Friday, April 13, 2012

Daily Newsletter April 13, 2012

Daily Challenge: Your Take What is your take on Environmental and Industrial Microbiology? What are you taking away from this week's topic? What have you learned about applied and environmental microbiology?

Thursday, April 12, 2012

Daily Newsletter April 12, 2012

Today's Topic: Environmental Justice

Readings: The following readings support your daily challenge dealing with Environmental Justice. These are all short readings to get you started.

Daily Challenge: Environmental Justice
In your own words, describe the concept of Environmental Justice. How could a microbiologist play a role in environmental justice discussions? How could environmental injustice affect public health?