Microbial terminology and molecular aspects of the prokaryotic cell; pure cultures, bacterial growth and growth factors; genetics and microbial metabolism. Growth, isolation, enrichment and characterization of microorganisms; measurement of bacterial cell concentration; sterilization, antibiotic assays, use of instrumentation for microbiological studies. Understanding of the importance of microorganisms in nature and their use.
Measurable learning objectives (OF)
OF1. Ability to perform calculations in the context of problems related to microbiology.
OF2. Understanding and basic concepts (notions) of the topics described above.
OF3. Ability of critical thinking, application and analysis of processes related to the topics described above.
For the laboratory classes the student is required to attend at the face-to-face lessons.
Type of Assessment
Oral or written examination.
The exam takes place on the content of the last year of the course.
It will be evaluated the knowledge of course topics and the ability to make connections with what learned in the first two years.
During the laboratory session, communication and learning skills applied to the reading of a scientific protocol will be evaluated.
The skills acquired at the laboratory will be completed through active participation (no examination will be carried out for the laboratories).
Course program
The bacterial cell. Capsule; flagella; cell wall: structure and biosynthesis; membrane; genome. Methods of bacterial identification and classification.
Fungi. Yeast: growth cycle and industrial applications.
Sterilization. Growth media. Pure cultures. Gram staining. Measurement of cell mass and cell number. Bacterial growth curve. Growth factors.
Carbon and energy sources. Fermentation, aerobic and anaerobic respiration. Photosynthetic metabolism. Carbon, nitrogen and sulphur biological cycles. Regulation of bacterial metabolism. Bacterial endospore.
Microbial genetics: transformation, conjugation and transduction. Plasmids. Transposons. Restriction and modification.
Antibiotics producers. Antibiotics mechanism of action. Sulphonamide. Penicillins and other antibiotics acting on cell wall. Antibiotics inhibitors of nucleic acids and proteins. Antifungi. Antiviral molecules. Antibiotic resistance.
Structure and classification of viruses. Viral infection. Lytic and lysogenic phages. Animal viruses.
Virulence factors of pathogenic microorganisms. Microbial toxins. Koch postulates. Host defences. Vaccines.
Examples of industrial microbiology