Two to four papers are read each week with oral presentation by the students. The bacteriology of dental caries and periodontal disease is considered in terms of current research on physiology, genetics and pathogenic mechanisms. Virology and mycology related to oral disease are reviewed, as well as sterilization and disinfection. There is no textbook for this course, but there is a handout and assigned readings from the literature for each session, which includes a lecture and a seminar based on student reviews of current research papers. In any semester various faculty members may offer seminar courses related to the area of their research interests.
Announcement is made on the department bulletin board.
Topics include vaccine research, drug development and testing, gene therapy, and basic virology. Advanced topics in virology are investigated in a discussion course. Previous topics include anti-viral therapy, vaccine design, and viral transcription regulation. Students present reviews of the literature and write critiques. Special Topics in Microbiology Staff Credit to be arranged Directed studies in the field of microbiology, supervised by a senior faculty member and organized to meet the needs of individuals or small groups of graduate students.