General Microbiology
Introduction to the scientific study of microorganisms, suitable for those with a basic understanding of molecular biology and genetics. This set of lecture notes is based on Duke University’s undergraduate course “BIO 212L: General Microbiology” (Spring 2025) and the textbook Brock Biology of Microorganisms, 16e (Madigan et al. 2020).
The notes cover standard methods in microbiology, microbial cell structure and function, viruses, microbial genetics and metabolism, microbial evolution and ecology, and also contain an introduction to immunology.
I have attached the pdf version here.
Organic Chemistry (work-in-progress)
First course in the scientific study of organic compounds. This set of notes draws from the following four textbooks: Mechanism and Theory in Organic Chemistry (Lowry and Richardson 1976), Organic Chemistry, 6e (Loudon and Parise 2016), Organic Chemistry as a Second Language, 4e (Klein 2017), and Chemistry: Atoms First, 2e (Rice University 2019).
The notebook begins with a discussion of classical and modern theories of chemical bonding and other preparatory topics such as acids and bases, kinetics, stereochemistry, and thermochemistry.
- The Covalent Bond
- Models of Chemical Bonding
- Atomic Orbitals
- An Orbital Model for the Covalent Bond
- Hybrid Orbitals
- Delocalized Pi Bonding
- Aromaticity
- Acids and Bases
- Lewis Acids and Bases
- Brønsted–Lowry Acids and Bases
- The Relationship of Structure to Acidity
- Fundamentals of Physical Organic Chemistry
- Stereochemistry
- Thermochemistry
- Solutions
- Kinetics
It then delves into an overview of different compound classes commonly seen in organic chemistry.
- Aliphatic Compounds
- Alkanes
- Alkenes
- Alkynes
Billy Cao 