Students will learn about the microbiology of human disease through lecture, discussion, and independent projects. Topics will include historical plagues, more recent outbreaks, and ongoing endemic global diseases and potential bio-terror agents. Students will learn how scientists identify, study and control infectious agents and the complex ecological, social, political, and economic issues that must also be considered. Other topics covered include the role of microbes in the production of food, common infectious disease in domestic pets and the socioeconomic significance of disease in livestock. The major goal of this course is to capture the interest of students by introducing them to the fascinating and crucial roles of microbes in everyday life including public health, environmental science, agriculture and biotechnology.