As you search, remember to keep track of your sources to include in the Topic Research assignment.
In microbiology, when discussing the pathogens, or organisms, that cause diseases it is important to use the appropriate scientific name. You may also hear this called taxonomy or binomial nomenclature. If you are not familiar with this method of naming organisms, you may want to check out this video which covers the basics. Binomial nomenclature is used for all living organisms including bacteria, parasites, fungi, and yeast. Viruses and prion diseases don' t always have binomial nomenclature, so recommendations for finding their taxonomy is below.
Scientific format for organism names
Orthohepadnavirus Hepatitis B Virus
MICROBIOLOGY POSTER TERM PROJECT INSTRUCTIONS
Introduction: The objective of this assignment is to study a single microbe and one disease it causes in detail. The process of independent in-depth investigation into a particular microbe and a disease it causes will help you better understand clinical medicine, diagnostic processes, patient and physician experiences and how microbes interact with their hosts and the environment. Due dates for each of the following assignments are available on Canvas.
Project timeline:
Orthohepadnavirus Hepatitis B Virus (check here for viral taxonomy).
It is important to have the full and correct organism nomenclature when signing up for your topic.
No credit will be given if you change your disease-pathogen selection between the time you submit the outline and your final presentation. Make sure you pick a topic you will enjoy researching for the final project.
Poster organization:
The final poster will be printed on a tri-fold poster board (36in tall, 24 in wide center panel with two 12 in wide wing panels). You will prepare your materials as PowerPoint slides that must be organized into the following named sections:
1) Title: Include title, your name, course name, term, course number, lab section, department and university in a banner format on the first slide.
2) Abstract: The abstract is a one-paragraph summary of the key points of the presentation. This should be contained entirely on the second slide.
3) The Microbe: Description and highlights of the microbe and its biology. What does it look like? Where is it found in the environment? Provide a brief background of the discovery of the microbe. Describe key virulence/pathogenicity mechanisms that result in disease progression and note how they work to cause disease (e.g. neurotoxin binds to axons to prevent signaling). You may use more than one slide for any of these sections, but the first slide should have the title exactly as shown (e.g The Microbe.)
4) The Disease: How is it transmitted? Describe the symptoms and temporal progression of the disease. What is/are the KEY distinguishing symptom(s)? What are the differentials? Describe any unusual features or sequelae of the disease.
5) Epidemiology: How is the disease transmitted? Where does it live between hosts? What is the incidence and prevalence? Does it have an animal or insect vector? Does it affect other animals?
6) Clinical identification and treatment: How is the disease diagnosed? How is it identified in the laboratory? What specific tests are used? Discuss the current treatments and include highlights of any unusual clinical aspects of the disease.
7) Social implications and current research: You have two options for social implications. 1) select a Non Governmental Organization that is helping manage this disease. Share the website and briefly describe how the organization is working to eradicate the disease, and how you might help. 2) Discuss the relevance and impact of the disease historically and in present times. Highlight relevant moral or ethical issues uncovered in your research on the disease. Regardless of which of these you choose, you must also identify and briefly describe one current research direction being pursued by scientists who work with the disease.
8) References: A minimum of 5 text references is required. A minimum of three must be dated 2020 or newer (no more than 5 years old) with the remaining two being published 2015 or newer (no more than 10 years old). At least two of your references must be research, clinical, or review articles of at least five pages in length from peer-reviewed journals. At least one of your references must be an SPU library owned Reference source.
Once you have met the above criteria further sources may also: (1) be selected from the following websites: www.cdc.gov; www.nih.gov; www.nsf.gov; www.who.int; emedicine.medscape.com; www.fda.gov (note that you may only use articles within these sites; links to external sites from within these sites are not acceptable); (2) include additional books, pamphlets, and scientific, review, newspaper and magazine articles. In the text of your poster (as opposed to references for the images you use) you may not cite general encyclopedias (such as Wikipedia), the dictionary (such as Webster’s), or the Bible.
Note for 2025: These traditionally stable and reliable sources of information from the federal government may no longer have information that you would expect. If you are not finding links to information you think should be there or thought you saw before, try a Google search for the topic with site:.gov. This may find pages that are still online, but not easily discoverable from the website.
Additionally, there are some organizations trying to preserve data that is at risk.
Internet Archive - captures web pages
Government Information Data Rescue Subject Guide from American University Library
Your textbook and generalized Web pages may be used as sources for pictures, figures or diagrams only.
Use APA style to reference and cite sources, see the APA tab of this subject guide for examples. Reference and cite all online resources, websites, ebooks, and online journals according to the specific APA formatting rules for electronic sources. Font size for the Reference panel may not be smaller than 11 point. With foresight and planning all articles can be obtained through the SPU library and/or interlibrary loan.
Style: Use 14 to 16 point font so that viewers can easily read the text in your video or poster. Spelling, grammar, presentation, and focus are considered in grading. All figures must have a legend. Creativity, neatness and organization are all factors, however they will not make up for a lack of content. Make sure that Genus is capitalized, while species is not, and that both of them are underlined or italicized - even if you use the abbreviation for Genus (e.g. E. coli). Additional tips for a successful video are:
Once you have found the resources you plan to use, please check them against this list to make sure they are appropriate for this assignment. Filling out the Microbiology References Table (which will be turned in at the same time as the storyboard) will help you determine that you have met these requirements.
When there are many requirements for an assignment, sometimes they can seem like they are just hoops to jump through, but each aspect of this assignment has been carefully considered for learning opportunities. Here are some essential questions to consider as you work on this project: