Choose a topic from the list provided on UTSOnline
• Conduct a literature search using the appropriate databases (e.g. PubMed) and keywords to
find current, relevant, peer-reviewed scientific articles on your topic.
• Critically read these scientific articles. Use the points below to help guide what kind of
content should be in the article. Other high-quality content relevant to your article will be
rewarded.
1. The significance and impact of the microorganism(s) in human or animal health, industry or to
the environment e.g. value and/or cost to society, value to industry or value to the environment
(e.g. nutrient cycling). Use this to focus your article on an angle that relates to a broad
audience.
2. If your microorganism(s) is:
a. a pathogen – information on its disease process, transmission and control methods
b. an industrially relevant microorganism(s) – commercial products that are made, the
industrial processes used to produce these product(s) and the physical parameters that
are required to allow the microorganism(s) to thrive (e.g. temperature)
c. an environmentally-relevant microorganism(s) – environmental process(es) the
microorganism(s) is involved in and the physical parameters that are required to allow
the microorganism(s) to thrive (e.g. temperature)
3. Other information might include:
a. a full taxonomic classification of the microorganism(s)
b. the microorganism(s) natural host(s) and/or environments
c. the methods of identification or detection of the microorganism(s)
In your own words, synthesise this scientific information to tell a story in the format of a magazinestyle article (see modules on UTSOnline). You will need to critically evaluate the literature, draw
conclusions and make recommendations. Consider your audience and purpose.