The purpose of these short essays is for you to learn more about certain aspects of microbiology, and for you to communicate what you have learned succintly and clearly. Your target audience should be the intelligent layman, not a microbiologist. Explain any unfamiliar terms. Avoid unnecessary jargon. Don't quote the text or other source; rewrite it so that you explain clearly. Be selective in what you include.

Essays should be roughly 1000-1200 words in length (about 2-3 pages long).

You must cite at least two references (one of which may include your text). Use APA conventions for reference citation. If you reference sources by computer, see "Electronic Sources: MLA Style of Citation, by Nancy Crane. If you need electronic assistance with writing, visit the Purdue Writing Lab.

• Papers must be handed in to the instructor (or Prof. Terry's mailbox in TLS 265) no later than the due date to be eligible for extra credit.
• Digital submission is also acceptable:
• If no figures are involved: send your paper as an e-mail message to terry@uconnvm.uconn.edu. (Note: before final submission, send a copy to yourself to verify that significant formatting is not lost, and modify your spacings if needed to preserve intelligibility).
• If digitized figures or formatting are involved: format your paper, including digitized figures, and save as a file in one of the following formats: Microsoft Word, WordPerfect, ClarisWorks, or rich text format (RTF). Send digitized file as an e-mail attachment

Follow these links for details about each assignment

1. Topic 1. "A Microbial Biography"
   Deadline Tues. March 14: (Extended)
2. Topic 2: "Microbes and the Environment"
   Deadline Tues. April 4
3. Topic 3: "Microbes and Disease"
   Deadline Tues. May 9

Each paper submitted on time may earn:

• one point (good work, appropriate references).
• 1/2 point (basically acceptable content but marred by mechanical problems such as incorrect spelling or grammar, or lack of clarity in explaining the topic)
• 0 point (unacceptable)

Points will be added to the final course grade.

Any evidence of plagiarism will result in zero points for all students involved and denial of any extra credit points otherwise earned.