Microbiology and Plant Pathology

Subject abbreviation: MCBL & PLPA College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences

Katherine A. Borkovich, Ph.D., Chair Department Office, Boyce Hall 1463

• (800) 735-0717 or (951) 827-1447

microplantpath.ucr.edu

Professors

James E. Adaskaveg, Ph.D. Emma Aronson, Ph.D. Katherine A. Borkovich, Ph.D. James Borneman, Ph.D. Hailing Jin, Ph.D. Howard S. Judelson, Ph.D. James Ng, Ph.D. Caroline Roper, Ph.D. Jason E. Stajich, Ph.D. Georgios Vidalakis, Ph.D.

Professors Emeriti

Michael F. Allen, Ph.D. Salomon Bartnicki-Garcia, Ph.D. Michael D. Coffey, Ph.D. Donald A. Cooksey, Ph.D. J. Allan Dodds, Ph.D. John A. Menge, Ph.D. Howard Ohr, Ph.D. A. L. N. Rao, Ph.D. Joseph S. Semancik, Ph.D. Michael E. Stanghellini, Ph.D. Peter H. Tsao, Ph.D.

Associate Professors

Patrick Degnan, Ph.D. Emma Gachomo, Ph.D Sydney I. Glassman, Ph.D. Rong Hai, Ph.D. Ansel Hsiao, Ph.D. Patricia Manosalva, Ph.D. Alexander Putman, Ph.D. Assistant Professors

Elizabeth Brauer, Ph.D. Sonali Chaturvedi Ph.D. Tibo Duran, Ph.D. Ahmed El-Moghazy, Ph.D. Fatemeh Khodadadi, Ph.D. Juliet Morrison, Ph.D. Olakunle Olawole, Ph.D. Jason A. Rothman, Ph.D.

Affiliated Faculty

Thomas Eulgem, Ph.D. (Botany and Plant Sciences) Bao-Lam Huynh, Ph.D. (Nematology) Isgouhi Kaloshian, Ph.D. (Nematology) Philippe Rolshausen (BPSC) Joel Sachs, Ph.D. (Biology)

The Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology the Microbiology majors leading to the baccalaureate degree. See the Microbiology or Botany and Plant Sciences section of this catalog.

Microorganisms play key roles in ecosystems and human civilization. They can both cause and prevent a wide array of diseases in animals and plants. They are key components in the manufacturing of bread, cheese, and other food products. Microbes are involved in soil formation, global environmental processes and detoxifying contaminated environments. In addition, they contain a wealth of useful compounds and enzymes for biotechnology.

The Microbiology major is unique because it offers a research based capstone course (MCBL 125) that trains students to become research scientists. The major also offers many laboratory courses enabling students to obtain highly valuable skills.

Students earning a degree will be prepared to continue studies at the graduate level, earn teaching credentials, or enter professional schools in medicine, pharmacy, optometry, dentistry, veterinary medicine, and clinical laboratory science among others. Students will also be trained for technical careers in medicine, agriculture, biotechnology and environmental fields. For information on how to select elective coursework for specific career paths, visit the CNAS Undergraduate Academic Advising Center.

Students in the Microbiology major can obtain either B.A. or B.S. degrees or both B.S. and M.S. in our combined program. The B.S. degree offers students who have a strong interest in the natural sciences an opportunity to emphasize this aspect of their education. The B.A. degree is available to students who wish to obtain a broader background in the humanities and social sciences.

See the Undergraduate Studies section for requirements that all students must satisfy.

See Degree Requirements, College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, in the Undergraduate Studies Section, for requirements that students must satisfy.

Some of the following requirements for the Microbiology major may also fulfill the College’s breadth requirements. Consult with an advisor for course planning.

• 1. Core Curriculum (68-69 units)

Students must complete all required core curriculum courses with a grade of “C-” or better and with a cumulative GPA in the courses of at least 2.0. Grades of “D” or “F” in two required courses, either separate courses or repetitions of the same course, are grounds for discontinuation from the major.

• a) BIOL 005A, BIOL 05LA or BIOL 020, BIOL 005B, BIOL 005C

• b) CHEM 001A or CHEM 01HA, CHEM 01LA or

CHEM 1HLA, CHEM 001B or CHEM 01HB, CHEM 01LB or CHEM 01HLB, CHEM 001C or CHEM 01HC, CHEM 01LC or CHEM 1HLC

• c) CHEM 001A or CHEM 08HA, CHEM 08LA

or CHEM 08HLA, CHEM 008B or CHEM 08HB, CHEM 08LB or CHEM 08HLB

• d) PHYS 002A or PHYS 02HA, PHYS 02LA

or PHYS 02HLA, PHYS 002B or PHYS 02HB, PHYS 02LB or PHYS 02HLB, PHYS 002C or PHYS 02HC, PHYS 02LC or PHYS 02HLC, or PHYS 040A, PHYS 040B, PHYS 040C

• e) MATH 007A or MATH 009A, MATH 007B

or MATH 009B

• f) STAT 010

• g) BCH 100 or BCH 100H or BCH 110A or

BCH 110HA

• 2. Upper-Division Requirements (36-38

units)

• a) Major Core (20 units): BIOL 102, BIOL 107A, MCBL 131, MCBL 131L, MCBL 125

• b) Major Electives. A minimum of 16 units

from the following to be selected in consultation with a faculty advisor: BIOL 128/CBNS 128, BIOL 157, BIOL 158, CBNS 101, ENSC 120/NEM 120, MCBL 120/BIOL 120/PLPA 120, MCBL 120L/ BIOL 120L/PLPA 120L, MCBL 122/ BIOL 122, MCBL 123/BIOL 123/PLPA 123, MCBL 124/BIOL 124, MCBL 125 (when repeated), MCBL 126, MCBL 127, MCBL 128, MCBL 129, MCBL/ENSC 133, MCBL 139, MCBL 1901, MCBL 1971, NEM 159/ BIOL 159, PLPA 134/BIOL 134, PLPA 134L/ BIOL 134L

• 3. Depth Requirements

For the Bachelor of Science degree, an additional 16 units in upper-division microbiology courses and/or substantive courses in a field or fields related to the major. Acceptable courses include any course not used to fulfill requirements under b) Major Electives, BCH 162, BIOL 107B, BIOL 109, BIOL 119, and MCBL 198-I2. Some lower-division courses can also be applied such as STAT 010, STAT 011, MATH 009C, MATH 010A, or CS 009A. A more complete list of acceptable courses is available at the CNAS Undergraduate Academic Advising Center.

For the Bachelor of Arts degree, the foreign language requirement may be fulfilled by completing level-four coursework or by demonstrating the equivalent proficiency in one foreign language.

Notes:

1 No more than 4 units of either MCBL 190 or MCBL 197 can be applied toward the Major Electives unit requirement, unless approved by the Microbiology Steering Committee.

2 No more than 4 units can be applied toward the Depth

Requirements unit requirement, unless approved by the Microbiology Steering Committee. Students are encouraged to take a class in ethics such as PHIL 009.

The Undergraduate and Graduate Programs in Microbiology offers a combined B.S. + M.S. program in Microbiology designed to lead to a Bachelor of Science degree as well as a Master of Science degree in five years.

Applicants for this program must intend to enroll in the UCR Microbiology M.S. program, have a high school GPA above 3.6 (when applying to enroll as a freshman or during their freshman year), a 3.5 GPA in major (upper division classes only, minimum of 11 units to be completed by the end of junior year, and a 3.2 GPA overall in their undergraduate program. Interested students who intend to enter the program in their junior year should check with their academic advisor for information on eligibility, admission requirements, and other details.

During the M.S. portion of this program, students must maintain a grade-point average (both in the major and overall) of at least 3.0 for all course work, both cumulatively and for each quarter of enrollment. If the student’s GPA falls below 3.0 (for either the major or overall), the student may be dropped from the program.

Master of Science The Graduate Program in Microbiology offers the M.S. degree in Microbiology.

General university requirements are listed in the Graduate Studies section of this catalog. Students may obtain an M.S. degree in Microbiology through the Plan II (Comprehensive Examination).

Professional Development All M.S. students participate in the program’s seminar (MCBL 250) each quarter of the master’s year when offered, and they are also encouraged to take the program’s professional development course (PLPA 265).

Plan II (Comprehensive Examination)

Overall Requirements Students must complete 36 units of approved graduate work in Microbiology. At least 24 of these 36 units must be graduate level courses (200-level). A maximum of 12 units of upper-division (100-level) MCBL courses can be applied toward the 36-unit requirement.

Course Requirements • Microbiology Graduate Core Courses

(MCBL 202, 211, 221)

• 24 units graduate level MCBL courses

(200- level) minimum

• Additional 200 and 100 level courses to

complete the 36 units

Written Comprehensive Exam Students take a comprehensive exam created from relevant material from at least 3 of the 200-level microbiology courses, usually the microbiology core courses. Failure to pass the comprehensive examinations after two opportunities constitutes grounds for dismissal from the program.

Normative Time to Degree 15 quarters (B.S. + M.S.)

3 quarters (M.S.)

The Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology offers the M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Plant Pathology.

Admission In addition to meeting the requirements for admission to the Graduate Division, students typically have a baccalaureate major in a biological science or training equivalent to that given in the Plant Science curriculum of the College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences. Majors in the physical sciences are welcomed, but students must be prepared to augment their undergraduate preparation with courses in the biological sciences.

All candidates for the M.S. or the Ph.D. degree should have good basic preparation in chemistry and biology. It is common for students to have completed courses in biochemistry, organic chemistry, cell and molecular biology, calculus, general physics, general botany, microbiology, statistics, genetics, plant physiology, mycology, and plant pathology. If these courses have been completed as an undergraduate, graduate study is facilitated. If students have not completed these courses prior to admission, they may be required to take them early in their graduate career.

Master’s Degree General university requirements are given in the Graduate Studies section of this catalog. The master’s degree in Plant Pathology is offered under Plans I or II.

Plan I (Thesis) requires 36 units of upper-division and graduate courses, of which at least 24 must be in the 200 series courses in Plant Pathology or Nematology. A maximum of 12 units may be in graduate research for the thesis.

Plan II (Comprehensive Examination) requires 36 units of upper-division and graduate courses, of which at least 18 must be in the 200-series courses in Plant Pathology or Nematology, excluding graduate research for a thesis or dissertation, and a comprehensive final examination in the major subject.

The departmental graduate advisory committee, in consultation with the student’s major professor or curriculum advisor, is responsible for prescribing the course of study, which requires as a minimum of PLPA 200, PLPA 206/NEM 206, PLPA 207, PLPA 210, PLPA 234, PLPA 250 and PLPA 265.

Doctoral Degree In accord with the student’s preparation and specific interests, the departmental graduate advisory committee, in consultation with the student’s major professor or curriculum advisor, prescribes areas where study is required. In addition to selected subjects in plant pathology, related fields in which some degree of competence may be expected is drawn normally from biochemistry, biology, chemistry, cell and molecular biology, entomology, genetics, genomics, mathematics, microbiology, nematology, plant physiology, soils, and statistics.

The departmental graduate advisory committee, in consultation with the student’s major professor or curriculum advisor, is responsible for prescribing the course of study.

Course Work The course of study requires as a minimum PLPA 200, PLPA 206/NEM 206, PLPA 207, PLPA 210, PLPA 234, PLPA 250 and PLPA 265.

Written and Oral Qualifying Examinations Students must demonstrate to the departmen tal graduate advisory committee, by written and oral examination, adequate preparation in the fields fundamental to plant pathology and in any area in which students have placed special emphasis in their training. A written dissertation research proposal is to be prepared before the qualifying examination and defended during the oral examination. After successful completion of the qualifying examination and all other formal requirements to the satisfaction of the dean of the Graduate Division, the student is advanced to candidacy for the Ph.D. degree.

The Oral Qualifying Exam can be taken in one of the following modes: In-Person or Hybrid. Remote participation by the student and the exam committee members is allowed under extenuating circumstances that include, but not limited to, health issues and personal or family emergencies. A student’s remote participation must be communicated to the committee chair and the student in time to set up the remote option.

Dissertation and Final Oral Examination A dissertation is required of every candidate. The dissertation must be approved by the dissertation committee before the candidate may take the final oral examination. The final oral examination deals primarily with defense of the dissertation and its relation to the field in which its subject lies.

The Final Defense can be taken in one of the following modes: In-Person or Hybrid. In-person participation is the norm, i.e., by default; therefore, no approval is needed. Remote participation by the student and the exam or thesis committee members is the exception, and it is allowed under extenuating circumstances that include, but not limited to, health issues and personal or family emergencies. A student’s remote participation must be approved by a majority of the committee members. A faculty’s remote participation must be communicated to the committee chair and the student in time to set up the remote option.

Professional Development Training Both M.S. and Ph.D. students fulfill their professional development training by enrolling in PLPA 265, a 3-unit course that covers a range of topics including careers in plant pathology, cv preparation, skills on giving scientific presentations, strategies for success in the candidacy examination and graduate school. data acquisition, management and ownership, policy and regulation, as well as intellectual property.

Teaching Requirement Ph.D. students must fulfill a one-quarter teaching requirement.

Normative Time to Degree 15 quarters