PPEM

Truffles to Slime Molds

Subject

PPEM

Type

course

Edition

undergraduate

Source

bulletins.psu.edu

This inter-domain general education course provides a cross-disciplinary platform for plant- and microbe-facilitated creative production and art- mediated scientific learning. The course balances studio art activities with lecture- and discussion-based learning about integrated science and art topics. Students use the media of plant and microbial pigments, growth, and biology in a hybrid studio-lab environment. The biology, chemistry, and physics of these living and life-derived media are expected to form integral parts of student presentations. Lectures will provide information about broad scientific principles and in-depth learning about specific phenomena underlying the biologically-based media as well as relevant bio-art issues and contexts in which work is produced. Student projects will represent an integration of natural science understanding with artistic expression. Students will be encouraged to go in various directions with their creative efforts, including visual mechanics (light, color, composition), mark making (painting, drawing), meaning making (metaphors, allegories, cultural appropriations), storytelling, sensing (ways of seeing, phenomenology), and new media issues (e.g., post- humanism). Some example types of bio-media and their scientific connections include: plant pigments, which facilitate discussion of light, photosynthesis, basic chemistry and chromatography; bacterial cultures, which facilitate discussion of microbiology, cell biology, and cellular movements; and fluorescent proteins, which facilitate discussion of DNA, RNA, protein structure, mutations, species concepts, and genetic engineering. Student projects integrate the scientific basis of the bio-art media used such that the media become part of the message of the art. Cross-listed with: ART 170N General Education: Arts (GA) General Education: Natural Sciences (GN) General Education - Integrative: Interdomain GenEd Learning Objective: Creative Thinking GenEd Learning Objective: Integrative Thinking

Subject

PPEM

Credits (min)

3

Credits (max)

3

Credit unit

Credits

Type

course

Edition

undergraduate

Source

bulletins.psu.edu

Students will learn about commercial production of edible mushrooms and how to cultivate them on both a small and commerical scale.

Subject

PPEM

Credits (min)

3

Credits (max)

3

Credit unit

Credits

Type

course

Edition

undergraduate

Source

bulletins.psu.edu

/Maximum of 18 Creative projects, including research and design, which are supervised on an individual basis and which fall outside the scope of formal courses.

Subject

PPEM

Credits (min)

1

Credits (max)

18

Credit unit

Credits

Type

course

Edition

undergraduate

Source

bulletins.psu.edu

/Maximum of 9 Formal courses given infrequently to explore, in depth, a comparatively narrow subject which may be topical or of special interest.

Subject

PPEM

Credits (min)

1

Credits (max)

9

Credit unit

Credits

Type

course

Edition

undergraduate

Source

bulletins.psu.edu

or PPEM 318 Diseases of Forest and Shade Trees e

Subject

PPEM

Credits (min)

2

Credits (max)

3

Type

course

Edition

undergraduate

Source

bulletins.psu.edu

Introduction to diagnosis and management of forest and shade tree diseases. PPEM 318 Diseases of Forest and Shade Trees (2) Diseases of Forest and Shade Trees, is a practical, hands-on, lab and lecture course designed primarily for forestry and landscape-contracting students. However, the course is also appropriate for any student interested in tree diseases, or for any student who simply wants to know "What is wrong with my tree?" The course content covers the important tree diseases of Pennsylvania, with emphasis on tree diseases that also have national and international implications. New and emerging tree diseases are discussed during the last two weeks of the semester.

Subject

PPEM

Credits (min)

2

Credits (max)

2

Credit unit

Credits

Type

course

Edition

undergraduate

Source

bulletins.psu.edu

/Maximum of 9 Formal courses given infrequently to explore, in depth, a comparatively narrow subject that may be topical or of special interest. Undergraduate - The Pennsylvania State University 2026-2027 4717

Subject

PPEM

Credits (min)

1

Credits (max)

9

Credit unit

Credits

Type

course

Edition

undergraduate

Source

bulletins.psu.edu

3 Biological Control

Subject

PPEM

Credits (min)

3

Credits (max)

3

Type

course

Edition

undergraduate

Source

bulletins.psu.edu

or PPEM 412WC

Subject

PPEM

Type

course

Edition

graduate

Source

bulletins.psu.edu

An exploration of the molecular biology and population dynamics of the virus-plant interaction. PPEM 416 Plant Virology: Molecules to Populations (3) This will be the departmental foundation course for plant viruses, one of the four major pathogen groups. The course will entail an exploration of the history, nature, cause, socioeconomics, symptomatology, physiology, diagnosis, ecology, epidemiology, and control of viral diseases on plants. Special emphases will be placed on replication, and evolution of plant viruses, molecular biology of the virus- plant interaction, replication, virus-like agents (viroids & prions), natural

Subject

PPEM

Credits (min)

3

Credits (max)

3

Credit unit

Credits

Type

course

Edition

undergraduate

Source

bulletins.psu.edu

This course covers the mechanisms that certain bacteria use to infect and cause disease in plants. We will consider the molecular, genetic, biochemical, and physiological systems that are used by plant- pathogenic bacteria to move about and infect plants, cause disease symptoms, evade plant immune responses, and derive nutrition from the plant. We will cover these topics through a combination of lectures and close readings of current and classic primary research articles. The course also has a major, hands-on laboratory component that includes experiments on bacterial genetics related to disease, bacterial physiology and behavior, and the stimulation of plant immune responses during bacterial infection. Students taking this class can expect to gain experience reading primary plant bacteriology research literature and designing and implementing experiments in plant-bacterial interaction. Enforced Prerequisite at Enrollment: BIOL 110 Writing Across the Curriculum

Subject

PPEM

Credits (min)

3

Credits (max)

3

Credit unit

Credits

Type

course

Edition

undergraduate

Source

bulletins.psu.edu

BIOL 425 / PPEM 425 (4 cr.) is a lecture and laboratory survey of the diversity of Fungi, consisting of two 75-minute lecture and two 180- minute laboratory/field activity periods per week. The course moves from branch to branch in the Fungal tree of life, covering aspects of ecology, morphology, physiology and life history, as well as current and historical importance to human affairs in medicine, agriculture and industry. Topics covered as students move through the Fungal tree include: 1) Macrofungi seen in the field; 2) Fungal evolution; 3) Fungal reproduction and dispersal; 4) Fungal growth, development and structure; 5) Fungal genetics and genomics; 6) Fungi as mutualistic symbionts of plants, animals and other organisms; 7) Fungal diseases of plants, animals and humans; 8) Fungi as toxin producers; 9) Fungi as sources of food, pharmaceuticals and enzymes; and 10) Fungi as research organisms used to understand basic biological processes. Some laboratory sessions consist of field trips to local forests to observe and collect Fungi for observation in the laboratory. Enforced Prerequisite at Enrollment: BIOL 110 and (AGECO 201 or BIOL 127 or BIOL 220W or BIOL 220M or BIOL 222 or BIOL 230W or BIOL 230M or BIOL 240W or BIOL 240M or MICRB 251 or HORT 232 or PPEM 120 or PPEM 225 or PPEM 405) Cross-listed with: BIOL 425

Subject

PPEM

Credits (min)

4

Credits (max)

4

Credit unit

Credits

Type

course

Edition

undergraduate

Source

bulletins.psu.edu

and Animal Health

Subject

PPEM

Type

course

Edition

undergraduate

Source

bulletins.psu.edu

This course introduces student to air pollutant sources, transport, meteorology, and temporal and spatial trends of pollution dispersion and deposition. An overview is presented of the direct and indirect effects of air pollutants on terrestrial ecosystems with an emphasis on plant life. The effects of ozone, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, particulate matter, halogens, and combined pollutants leading to acidic atmospheric depositions are presented. Emphasis is placed on air pollutants as plant pathogens leading to symptoms and eventual long- term accumulative effects to entire ecosystems. Methods of diagnostics, factors affecting plant response, ecosystem decline and resiliency, pest interactions, assessment of loss and cost/benefit analysis leading to abatement follows. Final parts of the course include perspectives of public awareness, development of National Ambient Air Quality Standards, compliance prevention of significant deterioration, and the Clean Air Act reforms of 1990. Enforced Prerequisite at Enrollment: (BIOL 110 or FOR 308) and 5th Semester standing or higher Cross-listed with: ERM 430

Subject

PPEM

Credits (min)

3

Credits (max)

3

Credit unit

Credits

Type

course

Edition

undergraduate

Source

bulletins.psu.edu

The development of next-generation sequencing (NGS) technologies was initially spurred by the desire for a human genome sequence, but these tools are now essential to all areas of biology. The amount of data produced by NGS allows us to ask questions about processes that occur across genomes, communities, and even landscapes. In particular, NGS has revolutionized the study of environmental microbiology, allowing us to investigate the thousands of microbial "species" that co-occur in a given environment, even though most of these microorganisms have not been captured or observed in culture. The entire complement of microorganisms (and their genes) that occur in a particular environment is frequently referred to as the "microbiome" of that environment. The field of microbiome research is evolving rapidly, which means that there are many opportunities to contribute to exciting new discoveries. However, this fast pace of change has made it difficult to properly prepare students for microbiome-focused graduate work. In this course, students will learn about the development of NGS techniques, as well as recent applications of NGS to natural and agricultural soil systems, including how these tools can be used to understand both targeted and

Subject

PPEM

Credits (min)

3

Credits (max)

3

Credit unit

Credits

Type

course

Edition

undergraduate

Source

bulletins.psu.edu

Virus ecology describes how viruses interact with their hosts, and how those interactions modulate the hosts' interactions with their environment. PPEM 454 Virus Ecology (3) In this course students will learn about the interplay among viruses, hosts and the environment. The diversity of viruses, which infect all known life forms, will be explored. T important role viruses play in the ecology of the planet, including carbon cycles, host adaptation to extreme environments, host health or disease, and host evolution will be discussed in depth using specific examples. Students also will learn to critically read the scientific literature. Learni will be assessed through a combination of written and oral assignments and exams. Enforced Prerequisite at Enrollment: BIOL 110 or equivalent

Subject

PPEM

Credits (min)

3

Credits (max)

3

Credit unit

Credits

Type

course

Edition

undergraduate

Source

bulletins.psu.edu

This is a lecture-based course that will broaden students' understanding of the diverse biotic and abiotic interactions relevant to microbes in diverse environments. In particular, this course focuses on ecological interactions between microbes in a common environment or between microbes and their eukaryotic hosts (e.g. plants and animals). In addition to learning about ecological theory as it applies to microbes, students will learn about historical and contemporary approaches to studying microbes in different environments. This will include substantial focus on cutting edge '-omics', microscopic, and direct functional analytical approaches to understand both the distribution of microbial taxa (i.e. who's there) and what processes they carry out in their natural environments (i.e. what they're doing). In the latter portions of the class, students will apply the theory and techniques to understanding the ecology of specific environments, including environmental, agricultural, and food environments. The objectives of this course include: provide students with a firm understanding of contemporary microbial ecology and environmental microbiology; conceptually link processes that occur in disparate environments, such as plant roots, termite guts, and cheese rinds; provide students with the language to discuss these concepts and processes; make students familiar with and conversant in 'omic' and other cutting edge functional techniques used to study microbes in their natural environments; provide select examples of how humans take advantage of microbial ecology for our benefit (such as suppression of pathogens or promotion of waste decomposition). The course will Undergraduate - The Pennsylvania State University 2026-2027 4719 conclude with a research and writing project where students will review the microbial ecology of a specific environment. This course expects students to have an understanding of basic microbiological concepts. Enforced Prerequisite at Enrollment: MICRB 201 or MICRB 201H Cross-listed with: MICRB 456

Subject

PPEM

Credits (min)

3

Credits (max)

3

Credit unit

Credits

Type

course

Edition

undergraduate

Source

bulletins.psu.edu

/Maximum of 6 Supervised student activities on research projects identified on an individual or small-group basis.

Subject

PPEM

Credits (min)

1

Credits (max)

6

Credit unit

Credits

Type

course

Edition

undergraduate

Source

bulletins.psu.edu

/Maximum of 18 Creative projects, including research and design, which are supervised on an individual basis and which fall outside the scope of formal courses.

Subject

PPEM

Credits (min)

1

Credits (max)

18

Credit unit

Credits

Type

course

Edition

undergraduate

Source

bulletins.psu.edu

/Maximum of 18 Creative projects, including research and design, which are supervised on an individual basis and which fall outside the scope of formal courses. he Honors

Subject

PPEM

Credits (min)

1

Credits (max)

18

Credit unit

Credits

Type

course

Edition

undergraduate

Source

bulletins.psu.edu

Course(s) from the departmental list for the Plant Pathology Minor with the approval of the minor adviser . Students must select, in consultation with the Plant Pathology Minor adviser, at least 3 credits of PPEM 496 (Independent Study) working with one or more faculty in the department of Plant Pathology and Environmental Microbiology. An additional three Independent Study

Subject

PPEM

Credits (min)

1

Credits (max)

1

Type

course

Edition

undergraduate

Source

bulletins.psu.edu