Search for: All records

ABSTRACT New approaches to microbiology education are needed to ensure equitable representation in microbiology and to build literacy in microbiology and science broadly. To address this goal, we developed a course held at the collegiate level that uniquely integrated microbiology, Indigenous studies, science and technology studies, and arts and performance. The course participants included students in 12 majors across science, engineering, humanities, and arts. The different disciplines of the course intersected around Inuit fermented foods as the basis for discussions on fundamental microbiological principles, the scientific method, food sovereignty, and Indigenous peoples’ rights. A diverse array of activities was included, ranging from lectures in microbiology and fermentation, a sauerkraut-making lab, a walk through the Native American contemplative garden, a workshop on Inuit drum making and dance, as well as a performance by Inuit-soul group Pamyua. We propose that a radically interdisciplinary approach and a human rights framework in microbiology education can be a way to enhance microbiology and science literacy for a diverse group of students. 

Lactobacilli andAcetobacter sp.are commercially important bacteria that often form communities in natural fermentations, including food preparations, spoilage, and in the digestive tract of the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster. Communities of these bacteria are widespread and prolific, despite numerous strain-specific auxotrophies, suggesting they have evolved nutrient interdependencies that regulate their growth. The use of a chemically-defined medium (CDM) supporting the growth of both groups of bacteria would facilitate the identification of the molecular mechanisms for the metabolic interactions between them. While numerous CDMs have been developed that support specific strains of lactobacilli orAcetobacter, there has not been a medium formulated to support both genera. We developed such a medium, based on a previous CDM designed for growth of lactobacilli, by modifying the nutrient abundances to improve growth yield. We further simplified the medium by substituting casamino acids in place of individual amino acids and the standard Wolfe’s vitamins and mineral stocks in place of individual vitamins and minerals, resulting in a reduction from 40 to 8 stock solutions. These stock solutions can be used to prepare several CDM formulations that support robust growth of numerous lactobacilli andAcetobacters. Here, we provide the composition and several examples of its use, which is important for tractability in dissecting the genetic and metabolic basis of natural bacterial species interactions.