Preface  (Page 3/7)

American society of microbiology (asm) partnership

Microbiology is produced through a collaborative publishing agreement between OpenStax and the American Society for Microbiology Press. The book has been developed to align to the curriculum guidelines of the American Society for Microbiology.

About asm

The American Society for Microbiology is the largest single life science society, composed of over 47,000 scientists and health professionals. ASM's mission is to promote and advance the microbial sciences.

ASM advances the microbial sciences through conferences, publications, certifications, and educational opportunities. It enhances laboratory capacity around the globe through training and resources and provides a network for scientists in academia, industry, and clinical settings. Additionally, ASM promotes a deeper understanding of the microbial sciences to diverse audiences and is committed to offering open-access materials through their new journals, American Academy of Microbiology reports, and textbooks.

Asm recommended curriculum guidelines for undergraduate microbiology education

PART 1: Concepts and Statements

Evolution

1. Cells, organelles (e.g., mitochondria and chloroplasts) and all major metabolic pathways evolved from early prokaryotic cells.
2. Mutations and horizontal gene transfer, with the immense variety of microenvironments, have selected for a huge diversity of microorganisms.
3. Human impact on the environment influences the evolution of microorganisms (e.g., emerging diseases and the selection of antibiotic resistance).
4. The traditional concept of species is not readily applicable to microbes due to asexual reproduction and the frequent occurrence of horizontal gene transfer.
5. The evolutionary relatedness of organisms is best reflected in phylogenetic trees.

Cell Structure and Function

1. The structure and function of microorganisms have been revealed by the use of microscopy (including bright field, phase contrast, fluorescent, and electron).
2. Bacteria have unique cell structures that can be targets for antibiotics, immunity and phage infection.
3. Bacteria and Archaea have specialized structures (e.g., flagella, endospores, and pili) that often confer critical capabilities.
4. While microscopic eukaryotes (for example, fungi, protozoa and algae) carry out some of the same processes as bacteria, many of the cellular properties are fundamentally different.
5. The replication cycles of viruses (lytic and lysogenic) differ among viruses and are determined by their unique structures and genomes.

Metabolic Pathways

1. Bacteria and Archaea exhibit extensive, and often unique, metabolic diversity (e.g., nitrogen fixation, methane production, anoxygenic photosynthesis).
2. The interactions of microorganisms among themselves and with their environment are determined by their metabolic abilities (e.g., quorum sensing, oxygen consumption, nitrogen transformations).
3. The survival and growth of any microorganism in a given environment depends on its metabolic characteristics.
4. The growth of microorganisms can be controlled by physical, chemical, mechanical, or biological means.