Learning objectives
To provide a general survey of the field of microbiology with substantial information on bacteria and archaea. Topics include taxonomy, structure, growth, reproduction, nutrition, metabolism, genetic recombination, chemical and physical eradication control, antibiotics .
Course unit content
Microbiological techniques: light and electron microscopy, simple and differential staining procedures. Structure of the microbial cells at different evolution levels (Eukarya, Bacteria, Archaea). Comparative analysis and description of structures and functions of procaryotic and eukaryotic cells. Microbial nutrition: common nutritional requirments, growth factors, nutrient uptake, culture media, sterilization, pure cultures. Microbial growth: influence ofaerobiosis,anaerobiosis, temperature, pH etc. on microbial growth. Microbial population growth , methods for growth measurement, continuous coltures (chemostat and turbidostat). Microbial metabolism and metabolic diversity: energy production, aerobic and anaerobic respiration, fermentation, oxigenic and anoxigenic photosynthesis, chemolithoautotrophy. Biosynthesis. Metabolism regulation at transcriptional level, translational level, feed-back inhibition. Microbial genetics: bacterial genome, mutation and mutants, genetic recombination in prokaryotes (transformation, conjugation, transduction). Plasmids and transposable elements. Microbial evolution and systematics. Prokaryotic diversity (Bacteria and Archaea), Fungi, Algae, Protista and Microbial growth control: antimicrobial drugs.
Full programme
1) Introduction to Microbiology
- microbiology
- prokaryotic and eukaryotic cell
- microorganisms and their natural environments
- the impact of microorganism of humans
2) Macromolecules
- polysaccharides
- lipids
- nucleic acids
- amino acids and peptide bond
- proteins
3) Cell structure and functions
- microscopy and cell morphology
- cell membranes and cell walls
- microbial locomotion
- surface structures and inclusion of prokaryotes
4) Introduction to microbial taxonomy
- classical and molecular taxonomy
- the use of Bergey’s manual
- main bacterial groups
Bibliography
Prescott, Willey, Sherwood, Woolverton “Microbiologia “ 7/ed McGraw-Hill Companies srl volumi 1-2-3(2009)
Tortora, Funke, Case "Elementi di Microbiologia" Pearson Education Inc.(2008)
Madigan et al. “Brock, Biologia dei Microrganismi” volumi 1-2-3 Casa Editrice Ambrosiana (2007)
Teaching methods
and oral examination at the end of the course.
