An overview of different techniques used during manipulation of microorganisms. It will allow students to gain an historical perspective of techniques used in microbiology as well as learn state of the art molecular characterization of microorganisms and their genetic manipulation. Introduces biochemical, physiological, and molecular biology methods to assess community diversity and microbial activity in a variety of ecosystems. Bacterial growth and survival, population biology, and microbial interactions will also be discussed. Prerequisite: BIOL 1441 and BIOL 3444.