Microbes & Human Health (MICR3001)

Course overview

This course describes the importance of infectious diseases in individuals, populations and communities. It covers the way microbes cause disease (pathogenesis), how they are transmitted, their spread within the population and mechanisms of control. Core topics include the epidemiology and pathogenesis of viral, bacterial and fungal infections, clinical microbiology and emerging infectious diseases. Each facet of the content will be presented in contemporary science contexts by experts in the field. The course requires the completion of a second year microbiology course (MICR2000 or equivalent) and is a prerequisite for those students wishing to obtain a major in microbiology.

Microbes that cause infectious diseases in humans and animals are of enormous significance to global human health. MICR3001 Microbes & Human Health is a third level course that explores the mechanisms by which bacteria, viruses and fungi cause disease in humans. The course also examines how these microbes are transmitted, the impact of antimicrobial resistance on human infectious diseases, and the most current methods of treatment and vaccination.

Course requirements

Assumed background

Students will have completed appropriate subjects atﾠsecond year level and have good written and communication skills.

Prerequisites

You'll need to complete the following courses before enrolling in this one:

(MICR2000 OR MICR2900)

Recommended prerequisites

We recommend completing the following courses before enrolling in this one:

[BIOC2000 or BIOC2900] + BIOL2200 or BIOL2900] + [BIOL2202 or BIOL2902]

Incompatible

You can't enrol in this course if you've already completed the following:

MICR3901 (co-taught)

Course contact

Course staff

Timetable

The timetable for this course is available on the UQ Public Timetable.

Additional timetable information

Check your online timetable regularly.

Aims and outcomes

This course aims to describe the importance of infectious diseases in individuals, populations and communities. It covers the way microbes (bacteria, viruses and fungi) cause disease (pathogenesis), how they are transmitted, their spread within the population, andﾠmechanisms of disease control.

Assessment

Assessment summary

A hurdle is an assessment requirement that must be satisfied in order to receive a specific grade for the course. Check the assessment details for more information about hurdle requirements.

Assessment details

PBLs

• Identity Verified
• In-person

Mode

Oral, Written

Category

Essay/ Critique, Presentation

Weight

50%

Due date

PBL1 Bacterial Infections Presentation 14/08/2025 11:00 am

PBL1 Bacterial Infections Report 21/08/2025 2:00 pm

PBL2 Viral Infections Presentation 4/09/2025 11:00 am

PBL2 Viral Infections Report 11/09/2025 2:00 pm

PBL3 Fungal Infections Presentation 25/09/2025 11:00 am

Task description

Submission guidelines

Submit your Bacterial PBL 1 report through the course Turnitin submission point in Blackboard. Before submitting your assessment item to Turnitin please name your file in the following way. FAMILY NAME_GivenName_StudentID_CourseCode_AssignmentName For example: Bob Smith (ID: 54329876) would name his ABCD1234 essay 1 in the following way. SMITH_Bob_54329876_ABCD1234_Essay1

Submit your Virology PBL 2 report through the course Turnitin submission point in Blackboard. Before submitting your assessment item to Turnitin please name your file in the following way. FAMILY NAME_GivenName_StudentID_CourseCode_AssignmentName For example: Bob Smith (ID: 54329876) would name his ABCD1234 essay 2 in the following way. SMITH_Bob_54329876_ABCD1234_Essay2

Deferral or extension

You may be able to apply for an extension.

Applications for extension

Extension applications must be received no later than 24 hours after the published assessment due date and time.

Read the information contained in the following links carefully before submitting an application for extension to assessment due date.

For guidance on applying for an extension, information is available here.

For the policy relating to extensions, information is available here (Part D).

Information on medical certificates

Please note the University's requirements for medical certificates here.

Late submission

A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.

You are required to submit assessable items on time. If you fail to meet the submission deadline for any assessment item, then 10% of the maximum possible mark for the assessment item (assessment ‘marked from’ value) will be deducted as a late penalty for every day (or part day) late after the due date. For example, if you submit your assignment 1 hour late, you will be penalised 10%; if your assignment is 24.5 hours late, you will be penalised 20% (because it is late by one 24-hour period plus part of another 24-hour period). 10% will be deducted per day for up to 7 calendar days, at which point your submission will receive a mark of zero (0) unless an extension has been approved.

In most instances one or more hurdles will apply to your assessment item so you will need to submit it to fulfil the requirements of the course regardless of how late it is and the mark you are likely to be awarded.

Final Exam

• Hurdle
• Identity Verified
• In-person

Mode

Written

Category

Examination

Weight

50%

Due date

End of Semester Exam Period

8/11/2025 - 22/11/2025

Task description

Hurdle requirements

Exam details

Submission guidelines

Deferral or extension

You may be able to defer this exam.

Course grading

Full criteria for each grade is available in the Assessment Procedure.

Additional course grading information

Assessment Hurdles

In order to pass this course, you must meet ALL of the following requirements (if you do not meet these requirements, the maximum grade you will receive will be a 3):

1. You must obtain an overall mark of 40% or more on the end of semester exam.

Supplementary assessment

Supplementary assessment is available for this course.

Should you fail a course with a grade of 3, you may be eligible for supplementary assessment. Refer to my.UQ for information on supplementary assessment and how to apply.

Supplementary assessment provides an additional opportunity to demonstrate you have achieved all the required learning outcomes for a course.

If you apply and are granted supplementary assessment, the type of supplementary assessment set will consider which learning outcome(s) have not been met.

Supplementary assessment can take any form (such as a written report, oral presentation, examination or other appropriate assessment) and may test specific learning outcomes tailored to the individual student, or all learning outcomes.

To receive a passing grade of 3S4, you must obtain a mark of 50% or more on the supplementary assessment.

Additional assessment information

Assessment Submission

It is the responsibility of the student to ensure the on time, correct and complete submission of all assessment items.

Students are responsible for retaining evidence of submission by the due date for all assessment items, in the required form (for example, screenshot, email, photo, and an unaltered copy of submitted work).

In the case of a Blackboard outage, contact the Course Coordinator as soon as possible to confirm the outage with ITS.

Assessment/Attendance

Notify your Course Coordinator as soon as you become aware of any issue that may affect your ability to meet the assessment/attendance requirements of the course. The my.UQ website and the Course Profile (CP) for your course provide information about your course requirements, the rules associated with your courses and services offered by the University.

A note for repeating students in this course

Only learning activities and/or assessment items completed during the study period of enrolment, including any approved extensions, may contribute to your grade in this course. The whole or partial use of assessment items previously submitted for the same course, for a course at any institution, or for published material, is not permitted without written permission of the Course Coordinator.

Important Note

Turnitin is to be used for assignments/laboratory reports to check for plagiarism. Penalties can be severe for plagiarism.

The University has adopted the following definition of plagiarism: Plagiarism is the act of misrepresenting as one's own original work the ideas, interpretations, words or creative works of another either intentionally or unintentionally. These include published and unpublished documents, designs, music, sounds, images, photographs, computer codes and ideas gained through working in a group. These ideas, interpretations, words or works may be found in print and/or electronic media.

Students should read the UQ Student Integrity and Misconduct Policy.

Learning resources

You'll need the following resources to successfully complete the course. We've indicated below if you need a personal copy of the reading materials or your own item.

Library resources

Library resources are available on the UQ Library website.

Additional learning resources information

Lecture notes, practical books, websites.

Blackboard

Additional material (including the Turnitin portal) may be found on the Blackboard site for MICR3001 at learn.uq.edu.au

Check the Announcements section of the Blackboard site regularly for information updates.

Learning activities

The learning activities for this course are outlined below. Learn more about the learning outcomes that apply to this course.

Policies and procedures

University policies and procedures apply to all aspects of student life. As a UQ student, you must comply with University-wide and program-specific requirements, including the:

• Student Code of Conduct Policy
• Student Integrity and Misconduct Policy and Procedure
• Assessment Procedure
• Examinations Procedure
• Reasonable Adjustments for Students Policy and Procedure

Learn more about UQ policies on my.UQ and the Policy and Procedure Library.