Microbiology (Medical Microbiology) (SOLS)
Gillian Gile
About this opportunity
The Microbiology major combines the study of the branch of biology involving the smallest of living things (bacteria, fungi, algae, protozoa and viruses) and immunology (the study of all aspects of the immune system), placing an emphasis on understanding microorganisms and their interrelationships with other organisms in nature and on the influence of microorganisms in biomedicine and biotechnology. Despite their small size, microbes are fundamental to life on Earth and compose the majority of all Earth's life forms. In addition to their essential contributions to the natural world, microbes have been model experimental subjects due to their impact on human health and ease of manipulation in the laboratory. A significant portion of medical research employs microbiological and immunological methods in order to examine basic genetic and biological phenomena.
The Medical Microbiology concentration serves students in the Microbiology degree program who aim to pursue careers in health professions, medical microbiology or biomedical research. The curriculum aligns with the scientific competencies recommended for premedical students in a report of the American Medical Colleges and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute Committee and are also reflected in the 2015 changes to the MCAT, but all Life Sciences degrees can be used to enter medical school.
Microbiology students are engaged in research all across ASU, including most centers of Biodesign, School of Life Sciences, School of Material Sciences,School of Biological and Health Systems Engineering and other departments around all ASU campuses. Many students over the years chose to do their research at one of the many excellent research organizations around the valley (e.g. TGen, U of Arizona Med School, Mayo Scottsdale, Barrow Neurological Inst. etc.). Research areas are as diverse as immunology, epidemiology, host-pathogen interactions, biofuels, antimicrobial resistance, novel diagnostics, and microbiomes of humans, animals, insects, plants, and rocks. Research in any of these areas would be beneficial for any future career steps, whether your path takes you to see yourself going to a clinical testing lab, medical school, graduate school, law school, industry, or open a biotech company of your own!
Get involved in research early! Certainly by the spring semester of your sophomore year you should secure a lab for the remaining time at ASU. Any Barrett student who is considering majoring or minoring in Microbiology (Medical Microbiology), or is already a Microbiology major and want to discuss research opportunities should contact the Microbiology Faculty Honors’ Advisor, Gillian Gile at ggile@asu.edu. Finding a spot in a lab is quite competitive and one of the FHA’s roles is to facilitate the process of matching up all Microbiology Honors students with a mentoring lab.
Undergraduate Student Research Opportunities
- School of Life Sciences
- School of Molecular Sciences
- Fulton Undergraduate Research Initiative
- Biodesign Institute
- TGen Helios Scholars
- Mayo Clinic Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship
- Barrow Neurological Institute Summer Undergraduate Research Program
- University of Arizona Basic Medical Sciences
- Barrett College Fellows Undergraduate Research Program
Thesis
Most Microbiology Honors students conduct research in close collaboration with a graduate student or a postdoctoral scholar in the lab of their mentor. Typically, as a new undergrad researcher, you will first assist with a component of the graduate student or postdoc's research project in order to learn the fundamental science and to build the essential skills necessary for work in your mentor's lab. After this initial training period, you and your mentor will carve out a particular component of the project that would be your research focus and the topic of your thesis. In addition to spending time on your own experiments, you would be expected to perform various routine chores and participate in lab meetings where you will also present your research progress.
With your research mentor's guidance, you will be writing up a “prospectus”, which is a proposal describing the scientific question(s) you will be working on, major hypotheses and proposed experiments. At this point you will also assemble your thesis committee, which will typically be chaired by your mentor. A second reader will be another faculty member and the third reader (required per SOLS norms) is often the lab member with whom you worked directly. You must have an ASU faculty member serve as chair or co-chair of your committee.
Once completed, the research you performed will form the basis of your “Thesis”. The scope is typically that of a research paper in the particular field of enquiry supplemented by a substantial literature review. However, the particulars depend on the specific project, the expectations of your mentor and the norms of the specific field you will be working in (Microbiology is very interdisciplinary and these can vary a lot). Finally, you will defend your thesis in a public seminar and in a private examination with your committee.
Academic Preparation
You can join a lab at any point during your ASU studies, and are encouraged to do so early, even before you have taken any microbiology courses. The School of Life Sciences Undergraduate Research (SOLUR) program has wonderful training courses called SOLUR Seminar (BIO 189/289/389/489) to help undergrads develop the skills that are necessary for success in research. Many Microbiology Honors students choose (with the support of their mentors) to join the SOLUR program so that they can access these courses.
Recommended Timeline
First Year:
Although it really is never too early to start working in a lab (some students, for example, continue research they started as high school students and work in the lab throughout their four years of college, summers included), a reasonable timeline would leave your first year to adjust to college (academically, socially and personally) without stressing over the need to find a lab “right away”. You should keep your eyes and ears open for information about cool research projects, excellent labs and fantastic mentors. You should also cultivate your network of junior (e.g. TAs) and senior researchers (e.g. professors). For example, visit your professors at their office hours not just to talk about the course they are teaching but to engage them about the research they do. Try to meet with your FHA during your first year. If you happen to find an exciting research opportunity to join during the summer after your first year, that can be a great time to start your lab training, without having to juggle your courses and research activities.
Second Year:
Start focusing on particular areas that look interesting to you. Explore the ASU School of Life Sciences undergraduate research opportunities Handshake site for a list of available research opportunities. Go through faculty websites and assemble a long list (6-8 names) that your FHA will help you shorten further. Certainly try to contact people on the list, but make an appointment with your FHA. They can help make sure you get responses from prospective mentors and secure interviews with them. Go over your potential mentors’ recent papers. Don’t feel intimidated if the papers are technical and look and feel impenetrable. Remember you are learning to be a scientist and the first thing you need to learn is to ask questions, not to have answers! By the middle of your second year’s spring semester you should have already secured a lab and have arranged with them to start as soon as possible, but certainly by the fall of your Third Year. Good labs fill early, so plan ahead.
Third Year:
Your first few months are critical to ensure your integration into the lab. Be punctual, be reliable, be helpful, be inquisitive and be supportive of all the lab members. Plan to continue work in the lab through the summer. Write your prospectus. Take the online prospectus/thesis workshop. Talk to potential committee members and obtain their consent to serve. Enroll MIC495 if you are earning undergraduate research course credits.
Fourth year:
Fall semester: Sign up for MIC492. Submit your prospectus for the September deadline. Spring semester: Sign up for MIC493. Decide on the defense date in consultation with your mentor (March and early April are good). Spend the winter break outlining your thesis and start writing it in January, making sure your committee chair has plenty of time to go over the document, give you initial feedback and for you to revise. Start working on your defense presentation. Present to your lab a week or so before your defense. Defend, revise the thesis as needed and submit by the required deadline.
Note: This timeline is for a four-year program of study. If you expect to graduate in less than four years, you need to accelerate searching for a research lab, hopefully joining a lab by the fall of your second year. It will generally take at least 6 months to learn the essential skills for your project and then at least 12 months to complete the experiments, followed by 3 months to write your thesis.
Other Honors Opportunities
Look for a passage about honors' contracts in the syllabi of the courses you take and ask your professors. Keep an eye open for special honors courses that come up.