FAQs About Undergraduate Research in Microbiology

Should I do undergraduate research?
If you are considering going to graduate school in microbiology, undergraduate research is one of the most valuable experiences that you will have to prepare yourself for graduate school. Extensive research experience will enhance your chances of getting in the most prestigious graduate programs. In addition, the lab skills that you develop in an undergraduate research project will help you get off to a better start once you matriculate into a graduate program. Even if you are not planning on a career path that involves research, you may want to consider doing a research project. Some benefits of undergraduate research include one-on-one interactions with a faculty member, hands-on experience with modern lab techniques, and the opportunity to explore real problems in microbiology.

What is involved in undergraduate research?
You should expect to spend 12-15 hours per week in the lab working on your research project. Your research advisor will help you define a research problem, design experiments, and interpret results. Students often work closely with a graduate student, post-doctoral associate, or other member of the lab. You must keep a lab notebook to record your experiments and results. At the end of the semester, you must write a paper on your research project. The paper is a standard format and includes the following sections: a one-paragraph abstract, introduction, materials and methods, results, discussion, and literature cited. In addition, you must include data tables and figures, along with a legend for each figure, in your paper.

How many credit hours of research can I take?
Each semester of research counts for 4 credit hours. You can take up to three semesters of research for credit (12 hours). You can count 4 hours towards major requirements, and any additional hours count as upper level electives. Many professors prefer students to take at least two semesters of research since students have a much deeper understanding of their project with the more time they are able to spend on it.

What course do I sign up for to do an undergraduate research project?
MIBO4900L is the course for undergraduate research in the Microbiology department. The course can be taken up to three times. Students in the Honors Program can sign up for MIBO4960H for the first semester, MIBO4970H for the second semester, and MIBO4980H for the third semester of research. MIBO4900L requires permission of the department, which is done through your research advisor. MIBO4960H (as well as MIBO4970H and MIBO4980H) requires permission of the Honors Program, forms for which can be obtained from the Honors Program office. Students need to fill out the form and get approval from the research advisor and Undergraduate Coordinator of the Microbiology Department.

Who can serve as my research advisor?
Any of the faculty in the Microbiology department or adjunct Microbiology faculty members can serve as your research advisor. Students can also work under the direction of other faculty members, but this must be approved by the Undergraduate Affairs Committee in the Microbiology Department.

How do I find a lab in which to do undergraduate research?
The first thing you should do to find a research lab is to check out the research interests of the microbiology faculty. Information about faculty research interests is found on the departmental web site. Identify one or two faculty members whose research interests you and contact them. Find out if they can serve as your research advisor and the type of project you would be assigned in their lab. Lab spaces are limited and so you should contact the faculty 1-2 semesters before the semester you plan to do research.