SOIL MICROBIOLOGY AND BIOCHEMISTRY

Prerequisites & course information

Requisites: Senior standing, ( CHEM 104 , 109 , or 116 ) and ( ZOOLOGY/BIOLOGY 102 , BOTANY/BIOLOGY 130 , or ZOOLOGY/BIOLOGY/BOTANY 151 ), or graduate/professional standing Course Designation: Core GenEd - Natural Science & Wellness Breadth - Physical Science Level - Intermediate L&S Credit - L&S Liberal Arts and Science Grad 50% - Counts toward 50% graduate coursework requirement Repeatable for Credit: No Last Taught: Spring 2026 Learning Outcomes: 1. Describe the soil environment from the perspective of a microbe Audience: Both Grad & Undergrad 2. Explain the importance of soil microbes for globally important issues such as climate change, nutrient cycling, and biodiversity Audience: Both Grad & Undergrad 3. Describe key methods used to study soil microbes and explain their limitations Audience: Both Grad & Undergrad 4. Analyze microbial community data to answer the question, are the organisms in these communities different, and how Audience: Both Grad & Undergrad 5. Discuss and critically evaluate scientific papers in soil microbiology at an advanced undergraduate level Audience: Undergraduate 6. Conduct, analyze, and interpret a research project Audience: Undergraduate 7. Discuss and critically evaluate scientific papers in soil microbiology at a graduate level Audience: Graduate 8. Design, conduct, analyze, and interpret a research project, drawing on the broader literature Audience: Graduate Learning Outcomes: 1. Describe the soil environment from the perspective of a microbe Audience: Both Grad & Undergrad 2. Explain the importance of soil microbes for globally important issues such as climate change, nutrient cycling, and biodiversity Audience: Both Grad & Undergrad 3. Describe key methods used to study soil microbes and explain their limitations Audience: Both Grad & Undergrad 4. Analyze microbial community data to answer the question, are the organisms in these communities different, and how Audience: Both Grad & Undergrad 5. Discuss and critically evaluate scientific papers in soil microbiology at an advanced undergraduate level Audience: Undergraduate 6. Conduct, analyze, and interpret a research project Audience: Undergraduate 7. Discuss and critically evaluate scientific papers in soil microbiology at a graduate level Audience: Graduate 8. Design, conduct, analyze, and interpret a research project, drawing on the broader literature Audience: Graduate