Learning objectives
Knowledge and ability to understand: through the lectures held during the course, the student will acquire the methods and knowledge necessary to understand the cell composition, the physiology and the microbial diversity. Ability to apply knowledge and understanding: using videos and scientific articles, students learn how to apply the acquired knowledge in a real context. Autonomy of judgment: using the acquired knowledge about the cell organization and the physiology, students will be able to evaluate the different cellular response to environmental factors. Communication skills: through the lectures, the comparison with the teacher and other students, the student acquires the specific vocabulary related to the microbiology. It is expected that, at the end of the course, the student is able to transmit, in oral and written form, the main contents of the course. Learning ability: the student who has attended the course will be able to deepen their knowledge on microbiology through the independent consultation of specialized texts, scientific journals, even outside the topics dealt with strictly in class, in order to understanding the food microbiology topics. In particular, the objectives are: a) to know the organization of the microbial cellb) to know the main metabolisms c) to know the replication and growth mechanism d) to know the methods to study the microorganism and their diversity. The knowledge of these aspects will provide the student with the essential skills to understand the different cellular response to environmental factors and the students will draw autonomously conclusions regarding the presence and the growth of microorganisms in different habitat.
Prerequisites
none
Course unit content
The first part of the course will focus on cell biology, such as cellular structure and function in prokaryotic and eukaryotic microbial organisms. The second part of the course will be about the microbial physiology in particular the microbial nutrition, different aspect of metabolism and the microbial growth. The third part of the course will focus on the basic microbial taxonomy. The course will conclude with the study of yeasts, molds and bacteriophages.
Full programme
INTRODUCTION TO MICROBIOLOGY .Microbiology science; Microbiology History; microorganisms and their natural environments; the impact of microorganism of humans; prokaryotic and eukaryotic cell. CELL STRUCTURE AND FUNCTIONS.The cytoplasme; Cell membranes; Cell walls; Microbial locomotion; Surface structures and inclusion of prokaryotes; Sporulation; Microscopy; Cell morphology. NUTRITION AND METABOLISM OF MICROORGANISMS. Nutrition and the transport of nutrient in the cell; Bacteria metabolism: energetic and enzymes major catabolic pathways. MICROBIAL GROWTH. Bacterial cell division; growth of bacterial population; environmental effects on microbial growth; stress response; Biofilm; Evaluation of microbial growth; laboratory cultures. INTRODUCTION TO MICROBIAL TAXONOMY. An overview of the phylogenesis; Classical and molecular taxonomy; main bacterial groups. OTHER MICRORGANISM: Fungi:characteristics, riproduction, metabolism; Virus and batteriofage
Bibliography
Michael T. Madigan, John M. Martinko Brock “Biologia dei microrganismi. Microbiologia generale, ambientale e industriale” (2016) Editore: Pearson. ISBN: 889190094X Lessons' slide
Teaching methods
The teaching will be carried out through frontal lessons using slides that represent teaching material available online in pdf format for students.Specific lessons aimed to assessing the state of learning will be carried out at the end of each part of the course.
Assessment methods and criteria
At the end of the course, the level of learning of all the contents offered during the lessons will be verified. The evaluation will be carried out through a written examination consists of three parts. 1. The first part consists of 10 closed-ended questions. The complete correctness of the answers to this first part is binding for the second and third part correction. 2. The second part consists of 21 closed-ended questions, each correct answer is 1.5 point. The achievement of the threshold of sufficiency (18/30) of this second part is binding for the correction of the third part. The mark of this second part will weigh 70% on the final mark. 3. The third part consists of an open-ended question where the student must demonstrate that he knows how to correctly understand the acquired concepts with the specific scientific microbiological language. The answer will be evaluated in thirtieths.The mark in this third party will weigh 30% on the final mark.
Other information
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