BIOS4250 – Fungal biology

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

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.

Following course must taken before the first lab session and field course:

• HMS0503 – Laboratory Safety
• HMS0504 – Field Safety

The teaching consists of:

• Lectures
• Group work (mandatory)
• Five-day field course in September (mandatory)
• Lab work (mandatory)
• Research project (mandatory)

Mandatory activities must be approved to sit the exam. Approved mandatory activities is valid for 3 years.

The research project will count 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.

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.

Access to teaching: 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.

• The research project counts 20% towards the grade.
• Final oral exam which counts 80% towards the final grade.

Students who can document a valid reason for absence from the regular examination are offered a postponed examination at the beginning of the next semester.

Re-scheduled examinations are not offered to students who withdraw during, or did not pass, the original examination.