Microbial Ecology

The course will cover the fundamentals and principles of microbial ecology (microbial biodiversity; cultivable and non-cultivable microorganisms;   major microbial groups, key microbial functions and biogeochemical cycles, microbial metabolism in the environment and environmental applications, and the fundamentals of ecology as they apply to microorganisms (microbial interactions, free-living organisms, competition, collaboration, symbiosis, parasitism, and their applications). The following topics will be specifically addressed as examples:

- Viruses: the concepts of emergence and re-emergence

-Vibrios: virulence factors, adaptation to the host, and horizontal transfer

-streptococci, comparative genomics, genomic reduction, specialization

 Applications of microbial ecology to biotechnology will include: detection, production of inocula, bioproductions, bioremediation, and water treatment, using concrete examples (development of multipathogen detection tools that account for mutation; production of a flavor enhancer by a soil corynebacterium; applications of microbial interaction studies to the selection of cheese flavors; a quality index for vineyard soil, etc.)

Practical Course: Water Analysis—Principles, Standards, and Applications: 6 hours total

Tutorial/independent work based on the results of the lab: design of a water treatment model for a real-world scenario (cadastral data, topographic survey, total fecal coliform and streptococcal load from the lab, student presentations on the various types of (micro) wastewater treatment plants, etc.) The goal is to propose a conceptual solution tailored to the specific site conditions.

- Fundamentals of microbial ecology (understanding the interactions between microorganisms and their environments)

- Gain an understanding of the practical applications of microbial ecology in environmental and health biotechnology, as well as career opportunities.

Fundamental microbiology, proficiency in basic microbiology techniques