Introduction to Anaerobe Physiology
Course description
Purpose: Provide a structured course on anaerobe physiology. Students will learn about prokaryotic systems and physiologic adaptations in bacterial anaerobes. They will then apply information from lectures in hands-on exercises in which they investigate systems present in an annotated genome assigned to them.
Course Objectives
Teach the physiology of anaerobes and their functions within complex systems, including with host organisms.
Provide students working examples to interrogate anaerobe genomes and use public resources to investigate anaerobe functions in complex systems.
For the lab exercise, provide a structured environment for students to improve their oral and written presentation skills with brief 5-10’ presentations of findings and a summary write-up of their assigned genome.
Course Team
Lynn Bry, M.D., Ph.D. (Course Director) – Director, Massachusetts Host-Microbiome Center, Associate Professor of Pathology, Harvard Medical School, lbry@bwh.harvard.edu
Lila Witt, Ph.D. (Course Coordinator) – Scientific Program Manager, Harvard Microbial Sciences Initiative, lilawitt@fas.harvard.edu
Class Schedule
Session 1 lecture: Tuesday, January 13, 2-4 PM, on Zoom only
Session 2 lecture: Thursday, January 15, 2-4 PM, on Zoom only
Session 3 “Lab” session: January 21, 2-4 PM, in person only - TMEC 443
Session 4 Final presentations: January 23, 2-4 PM, in person only - TMEC 443
NOTE: Sessions 3 and 4 will be in-person only and capped at 8 participants. Preference will be given to students taking the course for milestone credit.
Milestone credit
Students must attend all 4 lectures and present at the final lab exercise. An optional office hours section is available for students to review their findings and presentation with course faculty.
Students can combine Nanocourse Milestones for credit. More information can be found here.
Enrollment limit
Lecture attendance requires registration and is available via Zoom to the public. In-person attendance is offered for individuals from Harvard or MIT training programs or affiliated institutions. Priority for the 8 for-credit slots will be given to Harvard graduate students taking the course for credit. If positions remain, graduate students from other institutions may register, with priority given to students from other Massachusetts institutions.
Registration
To register for this course, please complete this form by Friday, January 9, 2026.
https://hms.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0TiTVP7o9nASCcm
Students requiring accommodations should contact the Disability Access Office upon admission to the nanocourse. Please provide the course name, instructor’s name and email, and course dates to ensure timely communication of accommodations.