Courses

Bioterrorism Course Offers Special Opportunity

Bacillus anthracis

Upper right: Mike Boehm. Bacillus anthracis CDC Public Health Image Library No. 10123

Bioterrorism: An Overview is a course offered by the Department of Plant Pathology this spring (PLNTPTH 4550/INTSTDS 4550).

At first glance, you might not connect Plant Pathology to bioterrorism, but we do work with pathogens, and pathogens of humans, animals or plants are very serious concerns to food security and food safety.

The course is taught by Mike Boehm, Vice Provost for Strategic Planning, Special Assistant to the President, Professor of Plant Pathology, and former Naval Reserve Lieutenant Commander.  After 9/11, while on the faculty of the Department of Plant Pathology, Dr. Boehm was placed on active military duty, where much of his work centered on bioterrorism agents such as anthrax.

He brings this first-hand experience to the classroom, along with his passion for teaching.  Taking a class from Dr. Boehm is on the list of special opportunities for students at Ohio State.

PLNTPTH 4550 (3 credits) > Read more
SPRING 2014, Class no. 14127
MoWe 5:30PM – 8:00PM  Denney Hall 0253
First 7-weeks of the semester

Turkey Tail, the Fungus

Turkey tail fungusTrametes versicolor.  It’s better known by its common name, turkey tail.  Looking at the colors and pattern of the fruiting bodies, it’s easy to see the resemblance, making it the perfect way to say “Happy Thanksgiving” from Plant Pathology.

Turkey tails are found in Ohio, and throughout North America, on logs and wood (they are important decomposers > More info).  This fungus is also a bit famous for its anti-cancer properties. An internet search for “turkey tail funugs” will return several articles in this regard.

These mushrooms can even be made into jewelry > Yes look here

Intrigued? The Department of Plant Pathology offers several courses that cover fungi.  In Spring 2014, Molds, Mushrooms and Mankind (PLNTPTH 2000) is a general education course for non-science majors (natural science – biological science w/o lab) > Read more