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Unit of study_
MICR3888: Microbiology Interdisciplinary Project
2026 unit information
Over the past 100 years nutrition-related chronic disease have overtaken infection diseases as the major global causes of mortality. In this unit you bring concepts and skills from microbiology to a team of students from the disciplines of Food Science and Nutrition to tackle a real-world problem - How to make foods that support health. The project choices will be topical and offer different perspectives such as: How government should make decisions regarding approval/regulation of a new food product; How to design and develop a new food product to support health, or; How the health claims and/or safety of a food product can be assessed or improved. Each of these requires knowledge from all three disciplines. In this unit, you will receive microbiology-specific training on production of fermented foods and application of microbiome tests in health care and product evaluation. You will also collaboration skills through project-based learning; identifying and solving problems, collecting and analysing data and communicating your findings to a diverse audience. All of these skills are highly valued by employers across the spectrum from education to industry to government.
Unit details and rules
Managing faculty or University school:
Science
| Study level | Undergraduate |
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| Academic unit | Life and Environmental Sciences Academic Operations |
| Credit points | 6 |
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Prerequisites:
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6 credit points from (MIMI2X02 or MEDS2004 or MICR2X22 or BMED2404) and 6 credit points from (MICR2X31 or MICR2X21 or MICR2024) |
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Corequisites:
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None |
| Prohibitions:
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None |
| Assumed knowledge:
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Fundamental concepts of microorganisms, biomolecules and ecosystems |
At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:
- LO1. Identify and define human health challenges related to the food system from an interdisciplinary context.
- LO2. Apply microbiology disciplinary knowledge to definition of problems in food product development, nutrition and public health.
- LO3. Propose and formulate a strategy for the food industry to develop new food products that have positive impact on public health.
- LO4. Analyse interdisciplinary data using modern information technology and digital skills.
- LO5. Critically evaluate and integrate outcomes to make justified recommendations regarding the project objectives.
- LO6. Demonstrate the capacity to manage challenges, both individually and in teams, composed of diverse cultural and disciplinary backgrounds.
- LO7. Communicate project outcomes effectively to a broad audience.
Unit availability
This section lists the session, attendance modes and locations the unit is available in. There is a unit outline for each of the unit availabilities, which gives you information about the unit including assessment details and a schedule of weekly activities.
The outline is published 2 weeks before the first day of teaching. You can look at previous outlines for a guide to the details of a unit.
| Session | MoA ? | Location | Outline ? |
|---|---|---|---|
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Semester 2 2026
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Normal day | Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney |
Outline unavailable
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Modes of attendance (MoA)
This refers to the Mode of attendance (MoA) for the unit as it appears when you’re selecting your units in Sydney Student. Find more information about modes of attendance on our website.
Important enrolment information
Additional advice
The project component of MICR3888 is done in conjunction with students from NUTM3888 and FOOD3888 and contributes 50% of the unit of study. The microbiology-specific component is 50% and includes both practical work in food microbiology and lecture content. This unit is a core unit for the Microbiology major. It is the typical unit used to complete the project requirements in the Microbiology major.