This Web site, created to complement the museum's Epidemic! exhibit, provides an in-depth look at the world of infectious disease. It includes the following sections: Environmental Change looks at how a season of heavy snow and rainfall led to an outbreak of hantavirus in the Four Corners region of the southwestern U.S., and at the different habitat needs of microbes. Long-Term Changes examines how changes to the prehistoric landscape and in our living patterns since the development of agriculture, have made diseases like malaria a major threat in tropical regions. Microbes and Others looks at the three major groups of microbes (viruses, bacteria, and protozoa) and the great variety within each group. Diagnostics and Testing examines how the link between microbes and disease was first made and the many medical advances since then. Infection covers how microbes enter the body and the body's built-in defense mechanisms. Outbreak looks at the different routes microbes use to spread through a population and the work of epidemiologists. Epidemic/Pandemic explores the factors that determine whether an outbreak will become an epidemic or a pandemic. Resources is a list, organized by topic and specific disease, of more than 250 Web sites. Glossary includes nearly 200 infectious disease terms, from AIDS to WHO.

This online laboratory manual features original anatomical descriptions of 112 species for use in invertebrate zoology teaching or research laboratories in North America. The collection was prepared over a period of many years to facilitate and encourage the study of invertebrate animals. It is a smorgasbord of species intended to provide a selection suitable for courses taught in most parts of North America. Many species, or their close relatives, also occur in other parts of the world, especially Europe. Although the chapters are written in laboratory manual format, they can also be used to support research or in other non-teaching situations as introductions to the anatomy of specific invertebrates. The anatomical descriptions are presented as laboratory exercises, many of which have been tested by my students in invertebrate zoology courses at Lander University, the Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution, and the Duke University Marine Laboratory. These have benefited from numerous revisions based on many years of student use.

Gregarines are members of the Phylum Apicomplexa that parasitize invertebrates. All of the Apicomplexans are parasitic and include some of medical and veterinary importance (e.g., malaria). Gergarines may be safely studied in highly parasizited hosts such as earthworms and mealworms that are readily available from bait shops and pet stores. Various life cycle stages are easily visible under the dissecting microscope in student laboratories.

This image-rich website from the Australian Antarctic Division's Biology program describes its research in marine microbial ecology. It includes an introduction of microbial ecology and microbial processes, followed by information about the research project. Field sampling, microscopy, flow cytometry, pigment analysis, flourometry, HPLC, culturing, feeding experiments, and the research staff are each discussed using vivid imagery. Links are provided to related websites.

This article from our family magazine series introduces kids to bacteria, viruses, and protozoa. The article begins with an engaging introduction to microbes that explains the abundance of this oldest form of life on Earth. Kids can click to see colorful photographs of bacteria, viruses, and protozoa, as well as details about these major types of microbes. The Microbe Size-O-Meter puts microbes into perspective, using a scale in which a kid's body is the size of California. A humorous sidebar explains why sneezing on your computer won't give it a virus. Meet the Microbes includes links to other Web sites where students can find "more cool pictures of microbes."

This course will cover a range of diverse areas of microbiology, including virology, bacteriology, and even applied microbiology. This course will focus on the medical aspects of microbiology, as medical research has been the primary motivator in microbiology research. Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to: explain how organisms are classified using taxonomy, focusing on the domains Archaea, Bacteria, and Eukarya; describe the chemical building blocks and metabolic processes important to sustain microbial life; identify the major principles of microbiology and describe the relationship between microbes and other living organisms; discuss pathogenic microbes and their epidemiology; differentiate between microorganisms based on their shape, size, arrangement, staining, and culture characteristics; outline antimicrobial methods including antibiotic use; explain how the human body protects itself; list uses for microbiology in food and beverage preparation and industry. (Biology 307)

This College level Unit in Microbiology explores microbes on five levels, their architecture, ecology, physiology, lifecycles and pathology. Students will be given an interactive tour of the world of microbes and learn more about their impact on Humans, animals, plants and on the environment in general. They will become aware of pathogenic (harmful) and non-pathogenic (helpful) microbes and develop an understanding of how microbiologists devise methods to study microbes in order to understand their benefits and to help to minimize their deleterious effects.