Microorganisms

This teaching unit will aim to address the elements necessary for understanding the lifestyle of large groups of single-celled organisms that form the basis of ecosystem functioning (viruses, bacteria, archaea, and single-celled eukaryotes, etc.). The courses cover the biological organization of each type of organism, their modes of reproduction, and their diversity, leading to concepts of ecology. We will discuss the role of these microorganisms in the functioning and dynamics of ecosystems, considering the interactions that these organisms have with other living beings (the concept of "symbiosis" in all its forms).

The practical work will enable:

 - the implementation of techniques enabling bacterial enumeration (CFU) and the identification of a particular strain from an environmental sample

 - highlighting the diversity of phytoplankton (single-celled algae) in aquatic environments (freshwater)

 - highlighting the specificity of interactions between bacteria and bacteriophages

mastery of techniques used in practical work (handling bacteria and viruses in a sterile environment, isolation and identification of bacterial species)

- integration of the role of different groups of single-celled organisms in the functioning of ecosystems

- develop critical thinking about the results obtained

- strict adherence to the implementation of the given protocols