Parker DenzSenior Microbiology major As a Microbiology Major at Pitt, I took the required 2 credit BIOSC 1860: Microbiology Laboratory. This research-based lab is centered on investigating an independent topic in microbiology. Taking this lab is an excellent opportunity not only to be exposed to research in microbiology, but also to cultivate your own research skills. Going into this lab, I had only acquired the basic skill set you obtain from the general Foundations of Biology II lab. I had not pursued any scientific research outside of my courses. To be honest, I was a little intimidated by the prospect of a research-based lab. The course objective is simple: by the end of the semester, you must create and present a problem-based research project, typically completed in groups of three or four students. From week 1 to week 15 you utilize a soil sample that your own group collects. On day one, you and your group must obtain your soil sample. Next, you take it into the lab and begin your research! Your task is to isolate bacterial strains from your soil sample to study as part of your research project. After a few weeks, you get to choose from major topics in microbiology and review published literature to create a specific scientific question to guide your research. You also use the soil to take a metagenomic sample. Metagenomics is used to analyze the genomes present in an environmental sample. In other words, you are taking a general sample of genomes in the environment to try and obtain an accurate representation of what species may be present. Metagenomic sampling is very important because many bacteria do not thrive in the laboratory environment. If bacterial strain isolation was the sole method employed, these bacterial strains would not be represented. Using your group’s sample, you perform a series of microbiological tests. You get to practice several important research techniques such as DNA isolation, PCR, bacterial transformation, isolation of pure bacterial strains, motility testing, gram staining, and more! These are necessary skills for people wishing to pursue a career in microbiology. The most useful and rewarding part of taking this research-based lab was the opportunity to present our findings. All of our research had to be compiled and presented as a poster. Communicating research findings is one of the most important skills to develop in the sciences. If you can’t get your ideas across to other scientists and the general public, their significance may be lost. All of the lab sections presented their posters together in a conference-style session, allowing other students and faculty to ask questions and learn about your semester’s work. Taking a higher level biology lab at Pitt is a wonderful opportunity to expand your research skills and techniques as well as to develop your professional communication skills. It can be a truly wonderful learning experience, so do not hesitate to take one!
If you have questions about the microbiology lab or any research-based lab course, stop by Parker’s advising office hours on Tuesdays from 9-10am.
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January 2022
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