Ateneo - UPO

The course is composed of two parts.
The first part is focused on the following topics:
- Structure and function of the prokaryotic cell, such as surface components, cell inclusions, locomotion mechanisms.
- Duplication and expression of the prokaryotic genome
- Horizontal gene transfer
- Environmental effects on microbial growth
- Nutritional requirements of bacteria
The second part addresses the following themes:
- Cultivation of bacteria in the laboratory
- Kinetic of microbial growth
- Features of microbial metabolism (aerobic and anaerobic respiration and the main microbial fermentations).
- Application of microorganism/environment interactions for the development of new products and processes to reduce the environmental impact and increase waste recovery.

- Brock. Biologia dei microrganismi. Microbiologia generale, ambientale e industriale. 16/Ed. Madigan, Martinko, Stahl, Bender, Buckley. PEARSON Data di Pubblicazione: gennaio 2022
ISBN: 8891906298

- D. R. Wessner C. Dupont T. C. Charles Microbiologia. Casa Editrice Ambrosiana. Distribuzione esclusiva Zanichelli 2015 ISBN: 9788808181008
- Dehò- Galli - Biologia dei Microrganismi – Terza Edizione 2019 Casa Editrice Ambrosiana – Distribuzione esclusiva Zanichelli ISBN: 9788808186232

The course aims to provide students with adequate information and basic knowledge on the biology of microorganisms from the point of view of cellular, metabolic and genetic organization, on the peculiarities of these aspects and on the similarities with other living beings.
In particular, the objectives of the course will be:
- provide students with theoretical knowledge and understanding of the biology of microorganisms such as the structure and functions of prokaryotic cell components, the genetics of microorganisms, the basic understanding of the most relevant classes of reactions of the microbial metabolism and the interaction of microorganisms with the natural environment;
- introduce applicative topics related to microorganism/environment interactions for the development of sustainable and low-impact microbial products and processes, for the recovery and enhancement of waste by exploiting the metabolic versatility of microorganisms.
- to provide both the theoretical knowledge and the instruments for the application of some of the principal methods concerning the cultivation, enumeration and identification of microorganisms, the resolution of simple problems related to microbial counting and the preparation of culture media and solutions for microbiological use.
Final educational aim of the course will be to provide the students with autonomy of judgment on the different topics addressed during the course, knowledge of their possible applications and repercussions in other scientific fields and skills regarding the verbal and written communication by an appropriate technical and scientific language.

Required background knowledge:
- Fondamenti di Chimica generale e inorganica
- Fondamenti di chimica organica e laboratorio

- The course includes lectures delivered in the classroom.
- Some topics will be deepened with videos in English and Italian. Topics of particular interest and relevance will be examined and discussed by the reading of scientific publications.
- At the end of the lessons concerning the methodologies for the cultivation and enumeration of microorganisms, classroom exercises will be carried out, to verify the acquisition of the calculation methods and the ability to apply these methodologies to solve technical questions relating to microbial counting and to the preparation of solutions for microbiological use.

The slides of the lectures and additional material are available on the website “Didattica in Rete”: https://www.dir.uniupo.it/
Students with physical disabilities, Learning Disabilities or Special Education Needs can request specific services and tools via the Staff Sviluppo e Coordinamento Carriere e Servizi alle Studentesse e agli Studenti, consulting the University webpage: https://www.uniupo.it/en/services/services-students-physical-or-learning-disabilities
Students with disabilities, learning disabilities or special education needs, once they have contacted the University Staff, can refer to the tutor in charge of the course to define the examination modalities, concerning academic aspects.

The exam of the course "MICROBIOLOGICAL, CHEMICAL AND BIOTECHNOLOGICAL PROCESSES" will consist of three written tests relating to the three teaching units (modules) carried out on the same day and will last 2 hours and 30 minutes. The final evaluation will take place in a collegial way and shared between all the professors of the individual modules.
The exam of the "FUNDAMENTALS OF MICROBIOLOGY" module consists of a written test with 3 open questions and 4 multiple-choice questions (with one true answer), true/false questions, questions with omitted words, matching words questions. In particular, two open questions will be aimed at evaluating the knowledge and notions acquired by the student and will be equally distributed on the topics addressed in the course: the first concerning the structure, functions, genetics and nutritional needs of microorganisms and the second concerning the growth and metabolism of microorganisms, the microorganism/environment interactions, the description of sustainable microbial products and processes.The third question will be aimed at assessing the ability to apply the knowledge by solving a technical/diagnostic question relating to the main methods of cultivation, enumeration and identification of microorganisms.
The 4 multiple-choice questions will also be equally distributed on the topics of the course and may include short problems related to microbial growth and count.

EVALUATION METHOD
The score attributed to each question will be specified in the exam text.
Open questions or multiple-choice questions that have not been answered or are incorrect will be assigned a score of 0. The ability to answer to open questions using an appropriate technical-scientific language will also be evaluated.

- Structure and function of the bacterial cell
Structural morphology and size of the bacterial cell
The cell membrane: structure, function; transport systems
The cell wall of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria
Gram staining
- Microbial locomotion
Flagella, gliding motility, chemotaxis, phototaxis and others
- The surface structures and intracellular inclusions. Fimbriae, pili, capsules, reserve materials, cytoplasmic inclusions, gas vesicles. Endospores
-The structure of DNA and DNA replication
- Principles of molecular biology of microorganisms
Synthesis and processing of RNA, protein synthesis
- Genetic of microorganisms
Transformation
Generalized and specialized transduction
Plasmids
Conjugation
Hfr conjugation and chromosomal transfer
- Nutritional types of bacteria
- Environmental effects on microbial growth
Temperature, pH, oxygen.
- Cultivation of microorganisms in the laboratory.
Complex, selective and/or differential culture media; autoclave sterilization
The aseptic technique (isolation of pure culture)
Identification of a bacterial strain by biochemical methods.
- Microbial growth
The binary fission. The growth cycle of a bacterial population (the growth curve)
Continuous-culture: the chemostat system
Direct evaluation of microbial growth. The indirect methods.
-The microbial metabolism:
Glycolysis, respiration and electron transport chain, the proton motive force, the aerobic and anaerobic respiration, main types of fermentation, the citric acid cycle
The anabolism: the biosynthesis of key monomers. Biosynthesis of peptidoglycan
- Examples of microbial products and processes with low environmental impact (biosurfactants and other secondary metabolites, degradative enzymes).
- Renewable substrates for the growth of microorganisms and the production of metabolites of industrial interest.

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING: At the end of the course, the student will acquire theoretical knowledge and understanding about the biology of microorganisms, in particular the structure and functions of the prokaryotic cells components, their genetics and the basic understanding of the most important classes of reactions of the microbial metabolism. Knowledge will also be acquired about the interaction of organisms with the natural environment; in particular, the effects of physical, chemical and nutritional factors on microbial growth and the response to abiotic stress will be understood.
Furthermore, the student will acquire skills on application-related issues concerning microorganism/environment interactions and will learn which are the main technologies for the development of sustainable microbial products and processes, for the recovery and enhancement of waste from the agri-food and industrial production by exploiting the metabolic flexibility of microorganisms.
APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING: At the end of the course, the student will acquire the instruments for the application of some of the principal methods for cultivation, enumeration and identification of microorganisms, and will be able to solve simple problems related to microbial counting and to the preparation of culture media and solutions for microbiological use.
MAKING JUDGEMENTS, COMMUNICATION AND LEARNING SKILLS: Finally, the student will gain independence of judgment on the different topics addressed during the course, knowledge of their possible applications and repercussions in other scientific fields and skills regarding the verbal and written communication by an appropriate technical and scientific language and an accurate microbiological terminology.