FOOD MICROBIOLOGY

The Ohio State University

 

(Microbiology 636.02/Food Science & Technology 636.02)

Autumn and Spring Quarters
(Three credits)

 

http://www.carmen.osu.edu

 

INSTRUCTOR

             Ahmed E. Yousef,        Professor

                                                    Department of Food Science & Technology     &

                                                    Department of Microbiology

                                                    217 Parker Food Science Building. Phone: 292-7814.

                                                    E-mail: yousef.1@osu.edu

TEACHING ASSISTANTS

Two from Food Science and Technology

Two from Food Microbiology

 

COURSE OBJECTIVES

Students completing this course should:

· acquire basic skills relevant to food microbiology laboratories

· be able to experimentally assess the microbiological quality and safety of food

· gain experience in handling foodborne pathogens

RECOMENDED READINGS


· Yousef, A. E., and C. Carlstrom. 2003. Food microbiology: a laboratory manual. Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, NJ

 

· Downes, F.P., and K. Ito (eds.). 2001. Compendium of methods for the microbiological examination of foods, 4th Ed. American Public Health Association, Washington, D.C.

 

· FDA. 1998. Bacteriological analytical manual, 8th Ed. AOAC International, Gaithersburg, MD.

                                                                                                 

Grade

Percentile

Explanation (of percentile ranking)

 

A

75 to 100

After grades are ranked, students in the top 25% of the ranking get A (regardless their actual score)

B

35 to < 75

 

C

10 to < 35

 

D

5   to < 10

 

E

< 5

Lowest scoring students (the bottom 5% of ranked grades) get E, regardless their actual score

 

ATENDANCE POLICY

This is a laboratory course in which actual instruction and demonstration occurs only during class time. This course is set up so that students will be working with 1 to 3 people on most, if not all, tasks.  Therefore, in order for students to complete tasks in a timely manner and collaborate with their partners, attendance is mandatory.  Each student has a maximum of 2 potentially “excused” absences.  Whether an absence is “excused” or not, is determined by the instructors.  Acceptable “excuses” are only applied to unavoidable circumstances (i.e., illness, car accident, etc.) and documentation is required (i.e., doctor’s note).  Absences will not be excused for extracurricular activities, weddings, vacations, etc.  Each unexcused absence will result in a reduction of the student’s final grade by 2%.

GRADING

See the laboratory schedule for the assigned worksheets, question, sets and reports.

 

Assignment

 

Number

Score/

assignment

Total

points

Worksheet

4

  25

100

Question set

4

  75

300

Lab report

1

100

100

Term-project

1

300

300

Mid-term exam

 

300

300

Final exam

 

400

300

Participation and conduct

 

100

100

Grand Total

 

 

1500

 

             Final Grade

Grade will be based on the relative performance of individual students within the class.  A grading curve will be constructed with a (B-) median. The instructor reserves the right to skew grades below or above the grade median for exceptional or less than exceptional classes. The approximate cutoffs for the grading curve are as follows:

ACADEMIC MISCONDUCT

Academic misconduct is defined in the Code of the Student Conduct (3335-23-04, http://studentaffairs.osu.edu/resource_csc.asp) and the Rules of the University Faculty (3335-31-02, http://www.acs.ohio-state.edu/offices/oaa/procedures/1.0.html).  Academic misconduct will not be tolerated.  If questions arise, please refer to the web sites just listed or ask the instructor. Any suspected violation of the Code of Student Conduct will be forwarded to the Committee on Academic Misconduct. Discussion of laboratory results with classmates is encouraged.  This does not constitute academic misconduct.

Examples of misconduct include, but are not limited to:

1.  Plagiarizing another person’s work, including work from books, journals, the Internet and another student’s report.

2.  Copying another student’s answers during an exam.

3.  Fabricating laboratory results.

DISABILITY SERVICES

Any student who may need an accommodation because of a disability should contact the instructor privately to discuss specific needs.  The Office for Disability Services assists faculty in verifying the need for accommodations and developing accommodation strategies.  Students with disabilities are encouraged to contact the Office for Disability Services at 614-292-3307, room 150, Pomerene Hall.

 

LABORATORY ASSIGNMENTS

Worksheets, question sets, a report and term-project reports are required as hardcopies. For these assignments, each student is required to provide an independent work. The lab and project reports should follow the format given in the outline in the appendix of the laboratory manual and the guidelines posted on Carmen. References should be formatted following the style of the American Society for Microbiology (ASM), as summarized on the course website. Due dates for assignments are shown in the lab schedule. Assignments will be returned to the instructor in charge of the laboratory, on the due date, no later than 15 minutes after the beginning of the laboratory period.

A late assignment should be delivered as a file in Carmen’s dropbox, and this late assignment will be graded as follows:

             Assignment received after 15 min from beginning of the lab on the due date:      10% off

             Assignment received after 5:00 pm of the subsequent day:                                    20% off

             No assignments will be accepted after two days of the due date.

 

Laboratory assignments (except worksheets) should be typed and lines are double-spaced. The lab report will be graded and returned to students, along with comments sheet, no later than 10 days from the day it is received.