MICR 3103 - Microbes: Friends or Foes

This is a flier for the MICR3103 course at Oklahoma State University. It is a grid that shows different images of systems covered in the course. Top-left: redbacked salamander. Top-middle: Different microbes in the shape of a human being. Top-right: A colonized scanning electron micrograph of Escherichia coli. Middle-left: a fungus-farming ant covered in Pseudonocardia. Middle-middle: Hawaiian bobtail squid. Middle-right: A desert woodrat eating peanuts. Bottom-left: A person cutting into a loaf of sourdough bread. Bottom-middle: A coral reef. Bottom-right: A howler monkey mother and her baby.

Discover the fascinating lives of animals and their microbes in MICR 3103! Uncover the history of Earth from a microbial perspective. Explore the microbial world to address the question: can microbes be more than pathogens? Unravel the secrets of how microbes control animal development and behavior. Challenge traditional views of health and disease. Understand the impact of antibiotics on our microbiomes. Explore the possibilities of manipulating microbiomes and symbioses to enhance our health. Gain inspiration from microbes to engineer a brighter future. Enroll in MICR 3103 and embark on a journey that will forever change your perception of the invisible world all around you!

Students in this course will gain a deeper understanding of microbial ecology, microbiomes, and host-microbe symbiosis. This course is designed for non-science majors, has no prerequisites, and fulfills the Natural Sciences (N) General Education Requirement. This course is typically offered in the Fall semester.

Please see here for the tentative syllabus and course schedule.