Section One: Nano and Microbes, A Brief History1. The Nanoscale: Definitions2. Characteristics of nanomaterials: Composition, coating, size, shape, surface properties, physical properties (inorganic, polymeric)3. Manufacture of nanomaterials - environmental exposure, toxicity, green synthesis, and sustainability4. Natural nanomaterials - microbial exposure5. MDR microbes and the "magic bullet." - metallic, metallic oxides - NPs
Section Two: Microbial Diversity6. Three Domains of Life - Structure and Function (Bacteria, Archaea, Eucarya)7. Bacteriophages and Viruses (not alive, but important)8. Microbial view of the periodic table9. Microbial defense
Section Three: Microbes and Why they Matter10. Food - Spoilage, Preservation, Industrial Microbiology11. Environment - Biogeochemical Cycles, Pollution12. Microbiomes - Naturally occurring and engineered13. Disease - Infectious (acute/chronic)14. Pharmaceuticals/Biotechnology - engineered proteins, vaccines, DNA vaccines
Section Four: Microbial Evolution15. Organic Evolution: Principles16. What Darwin Never Saw: How things differ between the microbial and macroscopic world. (Horizontal gene transfer, co-selection, persister cells)17. Classic studies of microbial evolution (antibiotic, metal)18. Evolution and nanomaterials (silver, copper, iron, gallium)19. Conclusion: Towards Sustainable Antimicrobial Nanomaterials