Professor: Lederberg Course format: Lecture Number of respondents: 4 Total Enrollment: 4 Class Composition: Froshs: 0 Sophs: 0 Jrs: 0 Srs: 4 Concs: 3 Non-Concs: 1 Don't Know: 0

Instructor Average: 1.83 Course Average: 1.88

"Molecular Biology of Microbes" covers the genetic and molecular mechanisms used by microbes to adapt to different environments and cause disease. The course prerequisites are BI 28 or BI 47. Students recommended taking both courses and also suggested BI 53 and some virology.

Students were happy to say that Professor Lederberg cared about teaching and was responsive to how his students were doing. If something was not clear in lecture, he was easily approachable. His personality was both warm, and flexible, and it was clear that he had a wealth of knowledge to share. However, students reported that Professor Lederberg"s presentation could be improved. His lectures were often fast paced, disjointed, and hard to follow. His writing on the board was also not always easy to read.

Students devoted a great deal of effort to this class. The average time needed per week was 3-7 hours. There was heavy reading from textbooks and research papers, which was deemed "necessary." There were two exams and a final, which were difficult. The exams were even more challenging because the wording and format itself were not always clear. Reading period was not observed.

Although it was sometimes frustrating to deal with the confusing lectures and exams, students felt they came away with a wealth of useful knowledge. As in years past, the class was very small, and students felt this gave the opportunity for a very close learning experience with Professor Lederberg. It is a hard class, but for those interested in the subject, it"s worthwhile.

View BI/0151 in the Brown Online Course Announcement.