Discussion Topics

All discussion topics throughout the book require more in-depth independent investigation. For these questions, you will need to seek additional information outside of the Bacterial Genetics and Genomics book. These questions will give you an opportunity to look at the most current research in the field and discuss it with other students. Think about what you have learned from this chapter of the book and then explore the topic beyond the book. You could start by looking at some of the Further Reading suggested at the end of the chapter. For the most recent advances in the field, use the terms within the discussion topics to guide your searches for more information using PubMed or Google Scholar. Think about what you already know and have learned elsewhere and then build upon this knowledge. When starting out reading scientific papers, keep in mind that the Abstract or Summary section will give a brief overview of the content of the whole of the paper and is usually freely available. If you can access the whole of the paper, read the Abstract/Summary and the Conclusions to find out the key messages from this scientific research. You can also see if the figures and tables help you to visually understand how they came to the conclusions stated in the text. Not all of the discussion topic questions throughout the book will be addressed in this way. Some will have you looking at historic events or thinking about experimental design. Others will ask you to do some hands-on work at the computer. The idea behind all of them is that they are interactive and engaging. If you can work together in a group to discuss and debate them, present them to each other in a class, or discuss them in an on-line forum, they will enrich your depth of understanding of the various topics.

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