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Microbiology is alive and growing at Acadia University.

Within the biology department, located in Patterson Hall, students at Acadia University major in Biology, but they have the choice to pick not only a double major or minor, but also an area of specialty. Specialties include pre-med and pre-pharmacy, as well as microbiology. The microbiology department is located on the fourth floor of Patterson Hall.

Microbial Genetics is also offered at Acadia. The course covers morphology, metabolism, antibiotic resistance, and virtually all other microbial characteristics determined by inherited information. You will learn that this information is stored in macromolecules called nucleic acids that are passed on from generation to generation. Online tutorials and lessons let you explore the microbial genome in detail by examining how it directs protein synthesis, how it is affected by mutation, and how it is transferred from one microbe to another. You will also explore mechanisms of genome regulation and take a very special look at viral genetics.


Course examples within this field at Acadia include...

Microbial Biodiversity   Parasitology   Bacterial Genetics     Pathogenic Microbiology   Food Microbiology

Principles of Immunology  Aquatic Ecology  Microbial Ecology  Enzymology  Special Problems in Microbiology

Ross Peters is a microbiology student at Acadia University.

He is in the fourth year of his program and has taken prerequisites in Introductory Microbiology, Food Microbiology, Bacterial Genetics, Pathogenic Microbiology, Microbial Ecology and Special Problems in Biology.

Here is his personal take on the courses he's taken in microbiology so far:

Parasitology- This is one of the most interesting courses that is offered at Acadia for a disease buff. The only problem with the course is that it hasn't been offered in the last 10 years. I think if the course was still offered it would be a good one.

Microbial Biodiversity- This is Acadia's introductory microbiology course. The format has changed a bit since I have taken it. It's a solid course with a lecture and lab component. Some people find the labs to be a pain. I think that this is only the case if you aren't keen on the subject. I found the labs and the course gave me the fundamentals and the required skills needed for the higher level microbiology courses.

Special Problems in Biology- I think that this course is cool. It is structured differently than the others that you take at Acadia. In this course you take on a research project with a professor. This means that most of your work is independent. while supervised by a member of the department(So you don't mess up!), you get to design and carry out your experiment. I think its a must take course for anyone who plans on doing future research.

An Introduction To Fungi-I haven't taken this one. The buzz among the students is that it is one of those classification, life cycle type courses. Now that may just be non-fungi lovers talking. If you think that you are interested in fungi than go for it.

Bacterial Genetics-This is the dreaded microbiology course at Acadia. A lot of people are scared of it. As a person who has taken this course, I can say that it was tough, but nothing to be afraid of. I mean some of the material was pretty high level but a lot of it was not. This is one of those courses that you need to do a little bit of extra work in.

Pathogenic Microbiology-This is the disease course. I thought it was a great course. It is generally taught in two parts, immunology and diseases. The immunology portion of this course is a little bit confusing and takes a little bit of extra studying. The disease portion was great, it was really interesting to learn the causes and mechanisms behind the diseases that we all hear about. It's a must take course.

Food Microbiology-This was another great course. From food poisoning to food spoilage and food production to food safety, this course has it all. You actually get to bring something in from your kitchen and test it. It's one of those courses that everyone should take or at least have a friend who has taken it.

Microbial Ecology-This is a good course. Like many higher level courses at Acadia it involves a lot of independent work. The course is a seminar based. It also requires students to create web pages such as this one and to participate in on-line discussion groups. I think this course is a great one to take in your fourth year because it lets you bring together all of the knowledge that you have acquired in years past. It's a very interesting class. Also included in this course are a few field trips to different lab facilities which really gives you a chance to see what is out there.

Acadia University has a strong reputation as a school geared for excellence. Their biology program thrives in the abundant ecosystem present in Nova Scotia. This makes for interactive research and fieldwork making academics and learning both engaging and exciting.