BIOS4250 – Fungal biology
Course description
Course content
Fungi play important roles in most ecosystems, as decomposers, parasites or symbionts. You will in this course learn about the biology of fungi. You will obtain knowledge about the immense diversity in the fungal kingdom, their ecology and nutritional modes, as well as their life cycles and genetics. Fungi play important roles in society and in circular economy; you will obtain knowledge about applied aspects of fungi. The course has a practical component where you will (1) work experimentally with fungi in the lab and (2) learn to recognize characteristic species in their natural habitat during a one-week field course.
Learning outcome
After the course you will be able to
- Describe fungal diversity on an overarching level
- Explain about fungal genetics, life cycles and growth strategies
- Discuss which roles fungi play in natural ecosystems and how they are impacted by climate change
- Understand fungal habitat, life strategies and what they need to survive
- Understand the role of fungi in our society and how fungi can be used for more applied aspects
- Use a microscope, name and identify certain traits to identify fungi
- Understand how to use DNA barcoding to identify fungi
- Grow fungi in the lab using aseptic techniques
- Plan, implement, interpret and collaborate about field and lab work
- Plan, implement, interpret and collaborate about a research project
Admission to the course
Students admitted at UiO must?apply for courses?in Studentweb. Students enrolled in other Master's Degree Programmes can, on application, be admitted to the course if this is cleared by their own study programme.
The courses BIOS3250 and BIOS4250 have common admission. Applicants are ranked by the following criteria:
1. Bachelor?s programme students at the Department of Biosciences and master?s programme students at the MN Faculty who have the course approved in their study plan.
2. Other program students.
3. Single course students and exchange students.
Applicants are ranked by number of credits within each group; all applicants within the 1st group are ranked before applicants in the 2nd group etc. For students who have equal number of credits within one group, admission is determined by random selection.
Formal prerequisite knowledge
Following? course must taken before the first lab session and field course:
Recommended previous knowledge
BIOS1110 – Celle- og molekyl?rbiologi, BIOS1140 – Evolusjon og genetikk, BIOS1150 – Biodiversity?
Overlapping courses
- 10 credits overlap with BIOS3250 – Fungal biology.
- 7 credits overlap with BIOS5217 – Advanced mycology.
- 7 credits overlap with BIOS9217 – Advanced mycology.
- 7 credits overlap with BIO4260 – Evolution and Systematics of Organismal Groups: The Fungal Kingdom (continued).
- 7 credits overlap with BIO9260 – Evolution and Systematics of Organismal Groups: The Fungal Kingdom (continued).
Teaching
- Lectures and obligatory group work
- Five-day field course (Mandatory) in September.
- Lab work (Mandatory)
- Research project (Mandatory)
All obligatory activities must be accepted before the final exam. The research project will be 20% of the grade.
Attendance is mandatory for the first lecture. This also applies for those on the waiting list. You will lose your seat on the course if notice is not given to the student administration studieinfo@ibv.uio.no prior to the first lecture.
Approved mandatory course work is valid for 3 years
As?the?teaching involves laboratory and/or field work, you should consider taking out a separate travel and personal risk insurance.?Read about your insurance cover as a student.
A student who has completed compulsory instruction and coursework and has had these approved, is not entitled to repeat that instruction and coursework. A student who has been admitted to a course, but who has not completed compulsory instruction and coursework or had these approved, is entitled to repeat that instruction and coursework, depending on available capacity.
Cost of taking the course
Field excursion: Students pay a deductible of 150 kr per overnight stay.
Examination
- The research project will count 20% towards the grade.
- Final oral exam which counts 80% towards the final?grade.
Examination support material
No examination support material is allowed.
Language of examination
Exams can be held in both Norwegian and English.
Grading scale
Grades are awarded on a scale from A to F, where A is the best grade and F?is a fail. Read more about?the grading system.
Resit an examination
This course offers both postponed and resit of examination. Read more:
More about examinations at UiO
- Use of sources and citations
- Special exam arrangements due to individual needs
- Withdrawal from an exam
- Illness at exams / postponed exams
- Explanation of grades and appeals
- Resitting an exam
- Cheating/attempted cheating
You will find further guides and resources at the web page on examinations at UiO.