NS 4200

Diet and the Microbiome

Course Description

Course information provided by the 2023-2024 Catalog.

In this course, students will acquire a present-day overview of the reported effects of diet on the microbiome with an emphasis on host physiology outcomes. The microbiome field is rapidly evolving, and this course has no textbook; we will mainly be assessing primary literature and scientific reviews. Students will learn to critically analyze the conclusions drawn from microbiome studies to empower them to make informed judgments as new research findings are reported.

Prerequisites/Corequisites Prerequisite: one semester introductory biology lecture (BIOMG 1350, BIOG 1440, or equivalent) and one semester introductory chemistry (CHEM 1560, CHEM 2070, CHEM 2090, or equivalent). Recommended: microbiology (BIOMI 2900 or equivalent) and introductory statistics (STSCI 2150, PUBPOL 2100, AEM 2100, or equivalent).

Permission Note Enrollment limited to: senior, junior, and graduate students.

Outcomes

• Engage in conversation including terms and techniques in the microbiome field.
• Assess the relevance of correlations between dietary intake, gut microbes, and physiological status.
• Design a study to address a question.
• Identify strengths, limits, and confounding factors in studies addressing diet:microbiome associations.
• Present technical information clearly.
• Articulate good arguments to support your decisions regarding scientific issues.

Distribution Category (PBS-HE)

When Offered Spring.

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