本課程主要聚焦在獸醫領域中，常見細菌之遺傳學知識的傳授。獸醫細菌遺傳學課程主要的內容包括細菌的遺傳物質、基因的表現及調控、基因的接合及轉移、噬菌體、轉位子的組成、基因的突變、損傷及修補等重要課題。細菌的遺傳學在許多生物技術的應用及實驗技術被廣泛應用，然而細菌涵蓋的範圍很大，本課程除了講授基本細菌遺傳學內涵外，也會著重在獸醫領域中重要細菌的最新遺傳學發展與疾病的關聯性，以貫連此門課程與其他獸醫系所開設課程的相關性以提高同學的學習興趣。另外，課程擬安排一次的專題演講，邀請學有專精的研究學者分享其研究成果，向同學介紹細菌遺傳學在研究上的應用，加深同學印象。學期結束前會有二次考試及一份心得報告繳交以評估學生學習成效。
擬安排18週之課程進度如下:
1. Course introduction
(1). Bacterial genetics
(2). Phage genetics
(3). Brief history of bacterial molecular genetics
2. The bacterial chromosome
(1). DNA structure
(2). Mechanism of DNA replication
(3). Molecular biology manipulations with DNA
3. Bacterial gene expression
(1). The structure and function of RNA
(2). Transcription
(3). Protein folding
(4). Regulation of gene expression
4. Bacterial genetic analysis
(1). Useful phenotypes in bacterial genetics
(2). Types of mutations
(3). Genetic analysis in bacteria
5. Plasmids
(1). Properties of plasmids
(2). Constructing a plasmid cloning vector
6. Conjugation
(1). Mechanism of DNA transfer during conjugation in Gram-negative bacteria
(2). Chromosome transfer by plasmids
(3). Transfer systems of Gram positive bacteria
(4). Other types of transmissible elements
7. Transformation
(1). Natural transformation
(2). Artifically induced competence
8. Midterm examination
9. Lytic bacteriophages
(1). The bacteriophage lytic development cycle
(2). Phage DNA replication
(3). Phage lysis
(4). Generalized transduction
10. Lysogeny
(1). Phage λ
(2). Lysogeny
(3). Specialized transduction
(4). Lysogenic conversion and bacterial pathogenesis
11. Transposition
(1). Mechanisms of transposition
(2). Transposon mutagenesis
12. Molecular mechanisms of homologous recombination
(1). Overview of recombination
(2). Molecular models of recombination
(3). The molecular basis for recombination in Escherichia coli
13. DNA repair and mutagenesis
(1). General repair mechanisms
(2). DNA damage tolerance mechanisms
14. Regulation of gene expression
(1). Transcriptional regulation in bacteria
(2). Positive and negative regulation
(3). Posttranslational regulation
15. Global regulation
(1). Catabolite-sensitive operons
(2). Stress responses in bacteria
(3). Regulation of virulence genes in pathogenic bacteria
(4). Microarray and proteomic analysis of regulatory networks
16. Bacterial cell biology and development
(1). Analysis of protein transport in Escherichia coli
(2). Protein secretion
17. Special lecture
18. Final examination