Learning objectives
The aim of the course is to make the student familiar with the most modern methods of analysis of microbial communities, to enable him to read, critically, scientific articles on this subject and to give him the tools to evaluate, through these analyses, the impacts that several environmental factors (pollution, climatic variations, anthropic activities of various kinds, etc.) may have on processes in which microorganisms play a key role.
Prerequisites
Taking the general microbiology exam would help.
Course unit content
The course provides a multidisciplinary approach to the study of biodiversity and analysis of microbial communities. At the end of the course students will have basic knowledge relevant to the study of microbial ecosystems. In particular will know: - the main cultural and molecular techniques for the identification of micro-organisms, phylogenetic analysis methods, the principles of omics technologies applied the description of microbial communities as well as methods for the study of their functional activities.
Full programme
Structure of a microbial community - biodiversity indices of microbial communities. Traditional methods of analysis based on pure culture cultivation: isolation and identification of microbial species by biochemical and serological methods.
Molecular methods applied to microorganisms isolated in pure culture: PCR, analysis by agarose gel electrophoresis, real-time PCR, cloning, sequencing, RAPD analysis, rep-PCR, ARDRA, RISA, ARISA.
Application of molecular techniques to the study of microbial communities, without cultivation of microorganisms: isolation of environmental DNA, genetic fingerprinting techniques ARDRA, SSCP, T-RFLP, DGGE, RISA, LH-PCR, RAPD. High throughput sequencing techniques and their application to the study of microbial communities. DNA / RNA Stable isotope probing. Fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH CARD-FISH, Raman-FISH, NanoSIMS). Microarray.
Bibliography
Bibliographic material will be provided by the teacher. It will refer to the most updated scientific literature
Teaching methods
Oral lectures with continual references to the general principles of the practice in the laboratory.
Assessment methods and criteria
Oral exam
Other information
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