Use this worksheet as you go through the steps in Project Module 1. As appropriate, insert screenshots or pictures of your results along with the responses to the questions.

Responses will be graded on correctness and thoroughness (see rubric in the Project Module 1 instructions).

Your assigned microbe: _____________________

General microbe attributes

1. In what Phylum is your microbe? *An alternative to using primary literature, the site https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/taxonomy may be used for this question.

2. Describe at least one special characteristic of your microbe that differentiates it from other microbes. Your description should be more than a single sentence and be more specific than a broad categorization (ex. Gram positive bacterium is too broad).

3. In which environment(s) is your microbe found? Include where in/on the human body (all of your microbes are associated with humans in some form). Also include other environments in which your microbe can survive outside the human body (ex. soil).

4. Look at the list of external and cell envelope features below. Which of these features are found on your microbe and what are the roles of those features in your microbe specifically?

A complete answer will include at least 3 features and thorough descriptions of their role(s) in your microbe. Note, not all microbes will have all of these features.

• Capsule
• Flagellum
• LPS
• Secretion system
• Pili
• Fimbriae/adhesins
• Mycolic acids
• Teichoic Acids
• Peptidoglycan
• Glycolipids

*When searching using PubMed, it may be helpful to include primary manuscript articles and/or to search using “your microbe AND feature of interest”. Example “Escherichia coli AND flagella”. For some features, it may be easier to find information on the genus or family rather than the species of interest. That is fine to include, just be sure you indicate whether this information is specific to your microbe or more general for that genus/family/order/class (and perhaps unknown in that species).

Microbe cell envelope

5. You will need to draw and appropriately label important features of the cell envelope of your microbe. Drawings can either be done by hand or through digital programs (Powerpoint, Illustrator, etc) as long as they are original creations and NOT simply copying an image you find in the textbook or online (though you can use those for inspiration). Illustrations do not need to be pretty, but they must clearly and accurately show the following features:

• The defining features of a Gram positive, Gram negative, or Acid-Fast Bacterium, (depending on your specific microbe) – includes membrane, peptidoglycan, and molecules that largely differentiate between the major groups of microbes.

• The features described in your response to question #4

• Appropriate labels as to the multiple layers of the cell envelope and labels showing the external environment and the cytosol (ie which is the inside and outside of the cell).

References

You must have in-text citations that refer to sources listed in this section.