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Course

Microbiology with Lab

BIOL-40335

Learn Microbiology Online: From Microorganisms to Modern Medicine

 

Beneath every surface and within every living thing, microorganisms quietly shape our world. This online microbiology course with laboratory component illuminates these invisible architects of life, from their intricate cellular structures to their profound impact on health and disease. Whether you're preparing for a healthcare career, interested in biotechnology, or curious about the microscopic forces that influence our daily lives, you'll gain both theoretical knowledge and hands-on laboratory experience in this foundational course.

 

Learning Outcomes

 
  • Explore the diversity and impact of microorganisms throughout human history
  • Examine the structure and function of bacteria, viruses, fungi, and other microbes
  • Analyze microbial growth, reproduction, and control methods
  • Understand pathogenic mechanisms and immune responses
  • Master essential laboratory techniques and microscopy skills

About the Laboratory Component

 

The hands-on laboratory component is conducted at home using a comprehensive kit from HOL Sciences (purchased separately). You'll perform multi-day experiments that reinforce course concepts and develop practical skills. The kit includes all necessary materials except for common household items.  You will receive instructions on where to order the kit from your instructor on the first day of class.

The approximate cost of the labpaq is $350 + shipping.

Course Topics

  • Microbial Fundamentals: Explore the diversity of microorganisms, their cellular structures, and their crucial roles in nature and human health
  • Cell Biology and Physiology: Study the differences between prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells, microbial metabolism, and growth patterns
  • Disease and Immunity: Investigate pathogenic microbes, infection mechanisms, and host immune responses
  • Laboratory Techniques: Learn essential microbiological methods including staining, culture techniques, and identification procedures

Course Information

Online
6.00 units
$945.00
Notes:

 

This course includes a laboratory component. If you don't require the laboratory component, consider enrolling in BIOL-40336: Microbiology, which covers the same theoretical concepts without lab work.

Get more information

Course sessions

Closed

Section ID:

188008

Class type:

Online Asynchronous.

This course is entirely web-based and to be completed asynchronously between the published course start and end dates. Synchronous attendance is NOT required.
You will have access to your online course on the published start date OR 1 business day after your enrollment is confirmed if you enroll on or after the published start date.

Textbooks:

Microbiology: An Introduction 13
by Gerard J. Tortora and Berdell R. Funke
ISBN / ASIN: 9780134605180

You may purchase textbooks via the UC San Diego Bookstore.

Policies:

  • No refunds after: 6/9/2025

Note:

To order labkit for this section: https://myhol.holscience.com/enroll/dpbr-zvvm-ctvf-vtvh

Schedule:

No information available at this time.
Closed

Instructor: Ariel Rabines

Ariel Rabines
Full Bio
Add To Cart

Section ID:

190461

Class type:

Online Asynchronous.

This course is entirely web-based and to be completed asynchronously between the published course start and end dates. Synchronous attendance is NOT required.
You will have access to your online course on the published start date OR 1 business day after your enrollment is confirmed if you enroll on or after the published start date.

Textbooks:

Microbiology: An Introduction 11th
by Tortora, Funke
ISBN / ASIN: 9780321733603

You may purchase textbooks via the UC San Diego Bookstore.

Policies:

  • No refunds after: 6/30/2025

Note:

To order labkit for this section, please go to: https://myhol.holscience.com/enroll/krtw-xptp-nstr-prpk

Schedule:

No information available at this time.
Add To Cart

Instructor: Maria Fernandez-Ochoa, Ph.D.

Maria Fernandez-Ochoa, Ph.D.

Marketing Communications Manager, MO BIO Laboratories

Maria Wendy Ochoa, Ph.D., is currently the marketing communications manager at MO BIO Laboratories, a biotech company that develops molecular biology kits for microbiologists  Previously, she was the manager of the electron microscopy facility at the Sanford-Burnham Institute. She has extensive experience in structural biology, in particular, x-ray crystallography, Cryo-electron microscopy and electron tomography.

Full Bio
Add To Cart

Section ID:

190462

Class type:

Online Asynchronous.

This course is entirely web-based and to be completed asynchronously between the published course start and end dates. Synchronous attendance is NOT required.
You will have access to your online course on the published start date OR 1 business day after your enrollment is confirmed if you enroll on or after the published start date.

Textbooks:

Microbiology: An Introduction 11th
by Tortora, Funke
ISBN / ASIN: 9780321733603

You may purchase textbooks via the UC San Diego Bookstore.

Policies:

  • No refunds after: 7/21/2025

Note:

To order labkit for this section, please go to: https://myhol.holscience.com/enroll/dkvn-bzzv-cdvn-bvhb

Schedule:

No information available at this time.
Add To Cart

Instructor: Eva Zajac

Eva Zajac
Eva Zajac graduated with Ph.D. in biochemistry from University of Texas at Arlington. She conducted postdoctoral research at The Scripps Research Institute (La Jolla, CA). She is trained in microbial, molecular, and cellular biology. Until 2017, she was engaged in scientific work in the department of Molecular Medicine, in the laboratory of Dr. James Quigley on the mechanisms of cancer metastasis.  Her  recent publication in Oncogene can be found here:  https://www.nature.com/articles/s41388-017-0075-1

She has gained her teaching experience at Grossmont College and National University where for the past 12 years she has been an adjunct professor, teaching variety of courses such as microbiology, inorganic chemistry, and science.
 
Full Bio
Add To Cart

Section ID:

190463

Class type:

Online Asynchronous.

This course is entirely web-based and to be completed asynchronously between the published course start and end dates. Synchronous attendance is NOT required.
You will have access to your online course on the published start date OR 1 business day after your enrollment is confirmed if you enroll on or after the published start date.

Textbooks:

Microbiology: An Introduction 11th
by Tortora, Funke
ISBN / ASIN: 9780321733603

You may purchase textbooks via the UC San Diego Bookstore.

Policies:

  • No refunds after: 8/4/2025

Note:

To order labkti for this section, please go to: https://myhol.holscience.com/enroll/cxmr-dmwv-dvfw-sxmw

Schedule:

No information available at this time.
Add To Cart

Instructor: Cecilia Cheng

Cecilia Cheng
Dr. Cecilia Cheng earned her Ph.D. in Biochemistry from University of California, San Diego (UCSD), where she conducted research on protein kinases in the lab of Dr. Susan Taylor. She is currently a Scientific Solutions Consultant at Benchling. Dr. Cheng previously held roles at BP Biofuels and Verenium, where she focused on developing and commercializing cellulosic ethanol technology using chemical and microbial fermentation processes, and at Schrödinger, overseeing the deployment of computational chemistry platforms to biotechnology and life science industries.
Full Bio
Add To Cart

Section ID:

190464

Class type:

Online Asynchronous.

This course is entirely web-based and to be completed asynchronously between the published course start and end dates. Synchronous attendance is NOT required.
You will have access to your online course on the published start date OR 1 business day after your enrollment is confirmed if you enroll on or after the published start date.

Textbooks:

Microbiology: An Introduction 11th
by Tortora, Funke
ISBN / ASIN: 9780321733603

You may purchase textbooks via the UC San Diego Bookstore.

Policies:

  • No refunds after: 8/11/2025

Note:

To order labkit for this section, please go to: https://myhol.holscience.com/enroll/mdnh-bkcs-cmkh-nwhn

Schedule:

No information available at this time.
Add To Cart

Instructor: Lisa Zeigler

Lisa Zeigler

Dr. Lisa Zeigler (Allen) is an Assistant Research Scientist at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego (UCSD) and Assistant Professor in the Microbial and Environmental Genomics Group at the J. Craig Venter Institute. Dr. Zeigler Allen received a B.S. in Biological Sciences from Washington State University and a Ph.D. in Oceanography from Scripps Institution of Oceanography (UCSD). She has extensive experience in the area of viral genomics, specifically using environmental metagenomic and metatranscriptomic tools to investigate food web interactions in the ocean. In addition, Dr. Zeigler Allen has developed curricula as part of local outreach for K-12 students related to the oceans, their microbiome, and connections to human-influenced perturbations to over 50,000 student contacts over the last four years.

Full Bio
Add To Cart

Section ID:

190465

Class type:

Online Asynchronous.

This course is entirely web-based and to be completed asynchronously between the published course start and end dates. Synchronous attendance is NOT required.
You will have access to your online course on the published start date OR 1 business day after your enrollment is confirmed if you enroll on or after the published start date.

Textbooks:

Microbiology: An Introduction 11th
by Tortora, Funke
ISBN / ASIN: 9780321733603

You may purchase textbooks via the UC San Diego Bookstore.

Policies:

  • No refunds after: 8/11/2025

Note:

To order labkit for this section, please go to: https://myhol.holscience.com/enroll/dtdc-wfkw-frhh-svpn

Schedule:

No information available at this time.
Add To Cart

Instructor: Ariel Rabines

Ariel Rabines
Full Bio
Add To Cart

Section ID:

192220

Class type:

Online Asynchronous.

This course is entirely web-based and to be completed asynchronously between the published course start and end dates. Synchronous attendance is NOT required.
You will have access to your online course on the published start date OR 1 business day after your enrollment is confirmed if you enroll on or after the published start date.

Textbooks:

Microbiology: An Introduction 13
by Gerard J. Tortora and Berdell R. Funke
ISBN / ASIN: 9780134605180

You may purchase textbooks via the UC San Diego Bookstore.

Policies:

  • No refunds after: 9/22/2025

Schedule:

No information available at this time.
Add To Cart
Add To Cart

Section ID:

192224

Class type:

Online Asynchronous.

This course is entirely web-based and to be completed asynchronously between the published course start and end dates. Synchronous attendance is NOT required.
You will have access to your online course on the published start date OR 1 business day after your enrollment is confirmed if you enroll on or after the published start date.

Textbooks:

Microbiology: An Introduction 13
by Gerard J. Tortora and Berdell R. Funke
ISBN / ASIN: 9780134605180

You may purchase textbooks via the UC San Diego Bookstore.

Policies:

  • No refunds after: 9/15/2025

Schedule:

No information available at this time.
Add To Cart

Instructor: Eva Zajac

Eva Zajac
Eva Zajac graduated with Ph.D. in biochemistry from University of Texas at Arlington. She conducted postdoctoral research at The Scripps Research Institute (La Jolla, CA). She is trained in microbial, molecular, and cellular biology. Until 2017, she was engaged in scientific work in the department of Molecular Medicine, in the laboratory of Dr. James Quigley on the mechanisms of cancer metastasis.  Her  recent publication in Oncogene can be found here:  https://www.nature.com/articles/s41388-017-0075-1

She has gained her teaching experience at Grossmont College and National University where for the past 12 years she has been an adjunct professor, teaching variety of courses such as microbiology, inorganic chemistry, and science.
 
Full Bio
Add To Cart

Section ID:

192225

Class type:

Online Asynchronous.

This course is entirely web-based and to be completed asynchronously between the published course start and end dates. Synchronous attendance is NOT required.
You will have access to your online course on the published start date OR 1 business day after your enrollment is confirmed if you enroll on or after the published start date.

Textbooks:

Microbiology: An Introduction 13
by Gerard J. Tortora and Berdell R. Funke
ISBN / ASIN: 9780134605180

You may purchase textbooks via the UC San Diego Bookstore.

Policies:

  • No refunds after: 9/29/2025

Schedule:

No information available at this time.
Add To Cart

Instructor: Cecilia Cheng

Cecilia Cheng
Dr. Cecilia Cheng earned her Ph.D. in Biochemistry from University of California, San Diego (UCSD), where she conducted research on protein kinases in the lab of Dr. Susan Taylor. She is currently a Scientific Solutions Consultant at Benchling. Dr. Cheng previously held roles at BP Biofuels and Verenium, where she focused on developing and commercializing cellulosic ethanol technology using chemical and microbial fermentation processes, and at Schrödinger, overseeing the deployment of computational chemistry platforms to biotechnology and life science industries.
Full Bio
Add To Cart

Section ID:

192226

Class type:

Online Asynchronous.

This course is entirely web-based and to be completed asynchronously between the published course start and end dates. Synchronous attendance is NOT required.
You will have access to your online course on the published start date OR 1 business day after your enrollment is confirmed if you enroll on or after the published start date.

Textbooks:

Microbiology: An Introduction 13
by Gerard J. Tortora and Berdell R. Funke
ISBN / ASIN: 9780134605180

You may purchase textbooks via the UC San Diego Bookstore.

Policies:

  • No refunds after: 10/6/2025

Schedule:

No information available at this time.
Add To Cart

Instructor: Ariel Rabines

Ariel Rabines
Full Bio
Add To Cart

Section ID:

192227

Class type:

Online Asynchronous.

This course is entirely web-based and to be completed asynchronously between the published course start and end dates. Synchronous attendance is NOT required.
You will have access to your online course on the published start date OR 1 business day after your enrollment is confirmed if you enroll on or after the published start date.

Textbooks:

Microbiology: An Introduction 13
by Gerard J. Tortora and Berdell R. Funke
ISBN / ASIN: 9780134605180

You may purchase textbooks via the UC San Diego Bookstore.

Policies:

  • No refunds after: 10/6/2025

Schedule:

No information available at this time.
Add To Cart

Instructor: Lisa Zeigler

Lisa Zeigler

Dr. Lisa Zeigler (Allen) is an Assistant Research Scientist at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego (UCSD) and Assistant Professor in the Microbial and Environmental Genomics Group at the J. Craig Venter Institute. Dr. Zeigler Allen received a B.S. in Biological Sciences from Washington State University and a Ph.D. in Oceanography from Scripps Institution of Oceanography (UCSD). She has extensive experience in the area of viral genomics, specifically using environmental metagenomic and metatranscriptomic tools to investigate food web interactions in the ocean. In addition, Dr. Zeigler Allen has developed curricula as part of local outreach for K-12 students related to the oceans, their microbiome, and connections to human-influenced perturbations to over 50,000 student contacts over the last four years.

Full Bio