Applications Open! Enroll for Summer 2027 at 2026 Tuition Pricing Until Sept 30
Identify an unknown microorganism in this 3-week laboratory microbiology program for high school students on UT Austin’s campus.
Rated 4.7 out of 5 for classroom experience by students who took this course in 2026.
Course Description
A microorganism may be invisible to the naked eye, but its shape, growth, movement, and response to treatment leave evidence. Students learn laboratory safety and notebook procedures before using microscopes, preparing slides, labeling agar plates, and practicing continuous and three-phase streak methods.
Investigations compare bacteria, fungi, and molds and examine how microbes cause disease. Students collect environmental samples from Waller Creek and Turtle Pond, test handwashing methods, and study disease transmission. Laboratory work on antibiotics and natural antimicrobial substances connects microbial growth with vaccines, antibiotic resistance, and infection control.
For the final project, each student receives an unknown microorganism. Over several sessions, students apply course techniques, record methods and observations, and use evidence to identify the sample. They then prepare a ten-minute presentation explaining the organism and its relevance to historical and current microbiology research. The project brings together careful technique, documentation, interpretation, and scientific communication.
This three-week course takes place at UT Austin. The course is available to residential and commuter students. Beyond class, students connect focused academic work with campus life, growing independence, and clearer direction about what students may want to study or pursue next. The program is developed by the University of Texas at Austin and offered in partnership with Summer Discovery.
A supplemental course fee of $95 applies.
Instructor Bio
What Will You Do?
• Practice laboratory safety, aseptic technique, microscopy, and notebook documentation
• Label agar plates and use continuous and three-phase streak methods
• Prepare slides to compare bacteria, fungi, molds, and microbial movement
• Collect and analyze environmental samples from campus water sites
• Test handwashing methods, antibiotics, and natural antimicrobial substances
• Identify an unknown microorganism and present its research significance
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the course, students will be able to:
• Use microscopes, aseptic procedures, culture methods, and laboratory equipment safely
• Describe microbial morphology, growth, transmission, and responses to antimicrobial conditions
• Identify an unknown microorganism and defend the conclusion with documented evidence
Students will leave with a laboratory notebook and unknown-microbe presentation, stronger microbiology research skills, and clearer direction for further study or careers in laboratory and health sciences.
Students receive a University of Texas branded certificate of completion at the end of the program.
Why Microbiology Skills Matter
Microbiology makes scientific method visible at a small scale. Aseptic technique protects a sample from contamination, a laboratory notebook preserves the steps behind a result, and microscopy turns morphology and movement into observable evidence. Students learn that an identification is credible only when the process can be explained.
Experiments involving handwashing and antibiotics connect laboratory choices with infection control and public health. Comparing observations over time strengthens attention to detail, while an unknown-sample project requires students to combine multiple clues rather than rely on one test. These habits support future biology, biotechnology, medicine, environmental science, and laboratory research.
Who Should Attend?
This course is for high school students who have completed 9th, 10th, 11th, or 12th grade and are interested in microorganisms, infectious disease, biotechnology, medicine, environmental science, or hands-on laboratory investigation. It fits students who enjoy using observations and tests to solve a scientific problem.
Participants should be ready to follow safety and aseptic procedures, handle cultures responsibly, keep a detailed laboratory notebook, collect environmental samples, analyze results, and present an evidence-based conclusion. Patience and careful documentation matter consistently throughout. Applicants must also complete the program application.
Why UT Austin?
Studying on UT Austin’s Forty Acres campus gives high-school students a substantive introduction to academic life in Austin, Texas. Courses draw from popular undergraduate fields and Austin specialties. Full-day academies offer concentrated study, while classes across the program take place in campus classrooms and laboratories and may include guest speakers and fieldwork around Austin.
The experience extends beyond class for both residential and commuting students. Residential students live in Jester Hall, eat at J2, a popular campus dining hall, and take part in activities that may range from a star party at PMA to time at Gregory Gym, Zilker Park, South Congress, or an Austin FC match. Students gain independence, meet peers, and leave with a clearer view of college life, possible directions for future study, and what it can feel like to be a Longhorn.
UT Austin Certificate of Completion
After successfully finishing this course, you will be awarded a certification completion for your accomplishment.
*This is a preview, not what you will receive