General features of main microbial groups (eubacteria, archaea, fungi). Structure of the prokaryotic cell. Nutrition and bioenergetics of microorganisms. Growth kinetics. Influence on microbial growth of environmental factors. Role of microorganisms in nitrogen and carbon cycles. Microorganisms, humus and soil fertility. Industrial microbiology.
Brock - Biologia dei Microrganismi (14a Edizione) - Madigan et al. (2016). Pearson
Learning Objectives
Knowledge acquired: principles of microbiology necessary to understand the role of micro-organisms in nature, and for their application in agro-industry and biotechnology
Competence acquired (at the end of the course):
Principal methods to identify, isolate, cultivate and apply micro-organisms in agro-industry and biotechnology.
Skills acquired (at the end of the course): ability to design strategies to apply micro-organisms in agro-industry and biotechnology.
Prerequisites
Courses required: Biochemistry and organic chemistry
Lectures (30 hours), seminars (4 hours), laboratory practice (two shifts of 14 hours each)
Type of Assessment
Oral examination on the subjects of lectures and laboratory
Course program
Lectures
General Microbiology
History of Microbiology. The discovery of microorganisms. Prokaryotic cell structure. The bacterial cell wall. The endospore. Influence on microbial growth of environmental factors (temperature, pH, water activit, oxygen). Bacterial growth kinetics. Microbial nutrition and bioenergetics. Energy and carbon sources. Reducing power. Fermentation. Respiration. Chemotrophy. Litotrophy. Phototrophy. Oxygenic and anoxygenic photosynthesis. General features of main microbial groups (eubacteria, archea, fungi). Bacterial taxonomy.
Applied and Environmental Microbiology
Biogeochemical cycling and microbial ecology. Role of microorganisms in the nitrogen and carbon cycles. Nitrogen fixation. Ammonification. Nitrification and denitrification. Microorganisms, humus and soil fertility. Plant-microorganims interactions. Root nodule N2-fixing bacteria. Mycorrhizae. The rhizosphere. Applied and industrial microbiology. Micoorganisms and climate change. Biofuels from microbes.
Laboratory
Observation and identification of microorganisms at the optical microscope. Enrichment and isolation of main microbial groups. Sterilization. Growth measurement techniques. Cultivation of autotrophic and heterotrophic microorganisms.