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Microbiology, 2nd Edition
ISBN-13: 978-1119036869
ISBN-10: 1119036860
Author: Dave Wessner (Author), Christine Dupont (Author), Trevor Charles (Author), Josh Neufeld (Author)
Microbiology, 2nd Edition helps to develop a meaningful connection with the material through the incorporation of primary literature, applications and examples. The text offers an ideal balance between comprehensive, in-depth coverage of core concepts, while employing a narrative style that incorporates many relevant applications and a unique focus on current research and experimentation. The book frames information around the three pillars of physiology, ecology and genetics, which highlights their interconnectedness and helps students see a bigger picture. This innovative organization establishes a firm foundation for later work and provides a perspective on real-world applications of microbiology.
Why We Wrote This Book
We wrote this book for one simple reason—we have a passion for microbiology. Moreover, we want to share this passion with as many students as possible. First, we want to show students that microbiology is a dynamic discipline.
The eld has changed dramatically over the past 25 years, and we can only guess what remarkable changes the future will bring. Second, we want to show students that experimentation is at the very heart of microbiology. Since the development of the microscope over 300 years ago, microbiologists have asked probing questions, developed elegant experiments, and formulated testable hypotheses. This scientic exploration continues today. To achieve these two major goals, we have written this textbook as an engaging narrative that brings the story of microbiology to life. Our textbook not only provides students with a historical understanding of the eld but also gives them an appreciation for the dynamic, exciting nature of today’s microbiology. Indeed, we hope that our textbook will make students as passionate as we are about the science of microbiology. Exploration and Experimentation To achieve our goals, we present material within the context of exploration and experimentation. Knowing myriad facts about microbiology is not sufcient. To have a true understanding of this subject, students need to understand experimentation and be able to critically analyze information. Several features within the book will help our students understand and appreciate the science behind our knowledge. First, each chapter begins with an opening vignette—a short story that frames a basic question within the context of both contemporary and historical issues—visually supported by a dynamic illustration. As the chapter unfolds, references back to the opening vignette are made repeatedly. At the conclusion of each chapter, an additional
feature, The Rest of the Story, again refers back to this opening vignette and art. This also ties into an active learning feature, Image in Action, that includes several criticalthinking questions.
Second, each chapter contains a Mini-Paper, a synopsis of a scientic journal article that includes original data and Questions for Discussion. Through the use of this feature, students will see how microbiologists ask intelligent questions, rationally design experiments, and evaluate data.
Again, this feature will improve students’ critical-thinking skills and show them that our knowledge is evidence-based. Third, several chapters contain scientic methodology gures, diagrams that provide a brief overview of a specic experiment, including the original observation, hypothesis, experiment, results, and conclusions. Again, this feature will emphasize to our students the science behind our knowledge.
Three Pillars: Genetics, Physiology, and Ecology Throughout the textbook, we frame information around the three pillars of genetics, physiology, and ecology.
The pillars help weave concepts in evolution, structure and function, and the interactions between individual microbes, between different types of microbes, between microbes and other organisms, and between microbes and the environment. Often, the importance of these key interactions are presented from different perspectives at different places within the textbook: from that of the molecular biologist, of the ecologist, of the physician, of the engineer, or even of the microbe itself.
An Emphasis on Connections Finally, we make explicit the interconnectedness of topics, both within a chapter and between chapters. This goal is achieved in several ways. Important concepts are reintroduced throughout appropriate chapters with Connection notes. Through such layering, students gradually deepen their understanding of complex topics as the semester progresses. Thus, students gain an appreciation of gene regulation by seeing how it affects different processes.
Ultimately, of course, we want our students to gain a more complete understanding of and appreciation for microbiology. By presenting information within the dual contexts of experimentation and the interconnectedness of topics, we encourage students to learn important material not as discrete bits of information, but as pieces of a much larger body of knowledge. Through this approach, students will better understand and connect the basic concepts of this exciting, dynamic eld.
Thank you for taking the time to read these opening remarks and learn more about our book. Hopefully, our book will help you share your fascination with microbiology with your students. Who knows? Maybe an undergraduate student in today’s microbiology class will make tomorrow’s big discovery!
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