Ateneo - UPO

The course aims to provide students with the basic scientific knowledge and technical skills required to understand and apply the main approaches used in clinical microbiology and food microbiology. The course falls within the field of biomedical and applied sciences, with specific reference to the microbiological diagnosis of infectious diseases, the microbiological safety of food, and quality control in laboratory settings.By the end of the course, students will be able to describe the organization and main operating procedures of a microbiology laboratory, with particular attention to the correct management of biological and food samples during the stages of collection, transport, processing, analysis, and reporting. They will also acquire knowledge of the main groups of microorganisms of clinical and food-related interest, including bacteria, fungi, and parasites, and understand their role in infectious processes and food contamination.The course also aims to develop students’ ability to recognize and interpret the main microbiological methods used for isolation, identification, cultivation, preservation, and assessment of microbial growth, as well as for determining susceptibility to antimicrobial agents. Particular attention will be devoted to sterilization methods, the preparation and use of culture media, the observation of the morphological, physiological, and metabolic characteristics of microorganisms, and the interpretation of microbiological results in relation to clinical or food-related contexts.Finally, the course is intended to provide students with the tools needed to understand the main sources of microbial contamination in food, their potential impact on human health, and the role of microbiological control in the prevention of foodborne infectious diseases.

Koneman E.W., Allen S. D., Janda W.M., Schreckenberger P.C., Winn W.C. Introduzione alla Microbiologia Diagnostica. Antonio Delfino EditoreWinn W. Jr., Allen S., Janda W., Koneman E., Procop G., Schreckenberger P., Woods G. Testo-Atlante di Microbiologia Diagnostica. Sesta edizione. Antonio Delfino Editore.Farris AG, Gobbetti M, Naviani E, Vincenzini M. Microbiologia dei prodotti alimentari. Casa Editrice Ambrosiana

The course aims to provide the basic theoretical and practical technical skills related to the diagnosis of infectious diseases (of bacterial, fungal and parasitic origin) and of the microbiological control of food quality. The student acquires the basic laboratory principles and skills to isolate, characterize, conserve and manipulate bacteria, fungi and parasites, as well as theoretical notions regarding their biology and the characteristics that determine their pathogenicity. The methods of analysis of the main clinical and food matrices are also provided, as well as the competences for the interpretation of the results. Finally, during the practical part of the course the student will put into practice the concepts acquired during the course by acquiring practical skills and assessing any problems related to the reporting of results.

The student must possess basic knowledge of the biology of microorganisms and, in particular, of the morphology and physiology of the bacterial cell. Furthermore, the student must know the operating principles of the instrumentation suitable for the sterilization of the growth substrates and of the glassware to be used for a correct laboratory practice. Must know the composition of the main bacterial and fungal growth substrates. It must also possess an adequate property of language and scientific mastery. The General Microbiology course is considered preparatory.

The course combines teaching delivery and interactive learning activities, aimed at the integrated acquisition of theoretical knowledge, methodological skills, and practical abilities in the fields of clinical microbiology and food microbiology.

Classroom lectures will be delivered with the support of presentations, images, operational diagrams, multimedia materials, and applied case studies. This part of the course will introduce the theoretical principles of microbiological diagnostics, the main laboratory procedures, the characteristics of microorganisms of clinical and food-related interest, the methods used for isolation, identification, and assessment of antimicrobial susceptibility, as well as the criteria for interpreting microbiological results.

The practical component of the course will be carried out through laboratory exercises, during which students will directly apply the knowledge acquired in the theoretical lectures. Practical activities will involve the use of equipment commonly employed in microbiology laboratories, such as a microbiological safety cabinet, spectrophotometer, optical microscope, and stereomicroscope. The exercises will be based on protocols used in clinical bacteriology and in the microbiological control of food and will include, where applicable, the safe handling of samples, inoculation onto culture media, observation of microbial growth, bacterial isolation, microscopic observation, and preliminary interpretation of results.

Laboratory activities will aim to develop students’ ability to correctly apply microbiological procedures, recognize the main pre-analytical, analytical, and post-analytical critical issues, assess the quality of the data obtained, and understand the meaning of results in relation to the matrix analyzed, whether clinical or food-related.

Part of the teaching activity will also be devoted to the guided discussion of the results obtained during laboratory exercises, with particular attention to bacterial isolations, the consistency between macroscopic and microscopic observations and analytical data, and the possible issues related to the interpretation and reporting of microbiological results.

To promote the development of independent judgment and the ability to consult reliable scientific and technical sources, students will be guided in the use of resources available on the websites of international organizations, such as EUCAST and CLSI, to retrieve standardized protocols, technical documents, and interpretative tables related to the assessment of antimicrobial susceptibility and the correct interpretation of results.

Teaching may be supported by materials made available through the University learning platform, such as slides, protocols, scientific articles, guidelines, interpretative tables, and any additional study materials. The integration of theoretical lectures, practical activities, and discussion of results is intended to foster the acquisition of operational skills, critical thinking, and communication abilities in the description of procedures and the presentation of microbiological results.

During the course, ongoing monitoring and formative assessment activities will be carried out to support the progressive consolidation of the theoretical knowledge and practical skills acquired. These activities will include applied exercises, observation of laboratory activities, collegial discussion of the results obtained during practical sessions, and guided analysis of microbiological case studies.In particular, students will be involved in the critical evaluation of the different types of results obtained in the laboratory, with attention to bacterial isolations, the macroscopic and microscopic characteristics of cultures, the consistency of experimental data, and the possible pre-analytical, analytical, and post-analytical variables that may influence the outcome of microbiological analysis.The ongoing activities will aim to stimulate students’ ability to apply the knowledge acquired, recognize possible methodological critical issues, correctly interpret results, and discuss aspects related to their reporting. Guided discussion will also foster the development of independent judgment, critical reasoning skills, and the appropriate use of microbiological and laboratory terminology.The ongoing formative assessments do not replace the final assessment of learning, but serve as a tool to support exam preparation and to evaluate the progressive acquisition of the skills expected from the course. Activities may include oral questions, short interpretative exercises, discussion of protocols, analysis of experimental results, and collegial discussion of possible approaches to interpretation and reporting.Students with disabilities, Specific Learning Disorders, SLD, or Special Educational Needs, SEN, may request dedicated services and specific support tools by contacting the Student Career Development and Coordination Services Office and by consulting the dedicated page on the University website: https://uniupo.it/it/servizi/servizi-studenti-disabili-e-dsaStudents with disabilities, SLD, or SEN, after contacting the University Office, may contact the course instructor to agree, in compliance with the indications received and with current regulations, on any teaching support measures and adaptations to the assessment methods, in relation to the course learning objectives and expected learning outcomes.

The assessment of learning is aimed at verifying the achievement of the educational objectives and expected learning outcomes, with particular reference to knowledge of the theoretical contents, the ability to apply basic microbiological procedures, independent judgment in the interpretation of results, learning skills, and the appropriate use of scientific and laboratory terminology.The final examination consists of two components:A written report on the laboratory activities, worth up to a maximum of 2 points of the overall grade.An oral examination, worth up to a maximum of 28 points.The final grade is expressed out of thirty. The minimum passing grade is 18/30.The written report concerns the practical activities carried out during the laboratory sessions and the results obtained. It must clearly describe the procedures used, the observations made, the results obtained, and their interpretation. The assessment will take into account the completeness and accuracy of the description, the appropriate use of microbiological terminology, the ability to relate the results to the methods applied, and the ability to recognize any technical, interpretative, or reporting-related critical issues.The oral examination is divided into two parts. The first part consists of a discussion of the laboratory activities carried out and of the report submitted. During this phase, the student’s ability to describe the procedures performed, interpret the results obtained, discuss any pre-analytical, analytical, and post-analytical variables, and recognize possible issues related to data quality and microbiological reporting will be assessed.The second part consists of questions on the main topics covered during the course, with reference to the microbiological diagnosis of infectious diseases of bacterial, fungal, and parasitic origin, the basic techniques used in clinical microbiology laboratories, the microbiological control of food, the methods for the isolation, identification, characterization, and preservation of microorganisms, and the assessment of susceptibility to antimicrobial agents.To achieve a passing grade, students must demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the fundamental concepts of clinical microbiology and food microbiology, know the main techniques used in microbiology laboratories, and be able to describe the main methods employed in bacteriology. They must also be able to provide an essential interpretation of the results of the practical activities and present the topics using appropriate terminology.A grade above the minimum passing level will be awarded when students demonstrate a more complete and integrated knowledge of the topics, the ability to connect theoretical and practical aspects, autonomy in identifying errors or critical issues, and a good ability to interpret results. To achieve a high grade, students must demonstrate full mastery of the course contents, independent judgment, critical thinking, the ability to apply knowledge to laboratory or diagnostic situations, and the ability to present their conclusions in a clear, logical, and scientifically appropriate manner.

Role of the microbiological laboratory in the diagnosis of infectious diseases: guidelines for the practice and management.Guidelines for collection, transportation, processing, analysis and reporting.Laboratory diagnosis by immunological methods. Antigens and antibodies: basic definitions. Types of antigen-antibody reaction used in diagnostic serology. Methods of solid-phase immunoassay. Immunofluorescence techniques.Molecular Microbiology. Medical Bacteriology: taxonomy, morphology, physiology and virulence.Enterobacteriaceae: features for identification, culture medium used for the recognition of the fermentation of carbohydrates, differential characteristics identification. Taxonomy of Enterobacteriaceae. Screening methods for rapid identification. Classical identification systems.The gram- negative non - fermenting. Curved bacilli and gram- negative oxidase - positive fermenting: Campylobacteriaceae and Vibrionaceae. HaemophilusMiscellany of gram-negative bacilli. Neisseria and Moraxella catarrhalisGram - positive: Staphylococci and gram-positive cocci related. Clinical significance of staphylococci and gram-positive cocci related. Isolation and preliminary differentiation. Identification of Staphylococcus aureus. Identification of coagulase-negative staphylococci. Streptococci and enterococci bacteria "Streptococcus -like". General characteristics of streptococci. Β - hemolytic streptococcus group A. β - hemolytic streptococcus group B β - hemolytic streptococci group C and G streptococci β - hemolytic group F. Bacilli Gram- positive aerobic and facultative. The aerobic actinomycetes. Anaerobic bacteria. Antibiotic sensibility test. Mycobacteria. Disease spirochete. Mycoplasmas and ureaplasmas. Mycology. Parasitology. Diagnosis of infections caused by viruses, Chlamydia, Rickettsia and related microorganisms. New emerging technologies: rapid methods of research and identification of bacteria.Human Microbiota and Microbiome to describe the characteristics and functions of the resident flora. Micro-organisms in food. The microorganisms cause foodborne illnesses. Food of animal origin and fish products and their microbiological problems. Foods of plant origin and their microbiological problems. Fermented beverages: wine, beer and vinegar and their quality control. Fermented milk, cheese and butter and their quality control. Probiotics and functional food based on bacteria.Practise.

Acquisition of mastery of the main techniques used in a laboratory of clinical bacteriology and food control. Acquisition of in-depth knowledge on protocols and possible applications, knowledge of the concepts and applications of microbiological investigations, acquisition of appropriate scientific language. Acquisition of critical capability in the evaluation of the results obtained in order to obtain a certain critical autonomy for eventual reporting of results. Use of the websites of international organizations such as EUCAST and CLSI to obtain standard protocols and interpretative tables for the evaluation and reporting of results.
In particular: "Knowledge and understanding": Acquisition of in-depth knowledge on concepts and methodologies related to bacteriology, knowledge of microbiology concepts and applications related to infectious problems, acquisition of appropriate scientific language.
"Knowledge and understanding of applied skills": knowing how to identify the data necessary to provide indications regarding the presence and the type of microorganisms linked to infectious problems and to have the tools to find them in reliable locations; ability to interpret the obtained cultural results, ability to apply appropriate techniques for the isolation and identification of micro-organisms.
"Autonomy of judgment": ability to analyze with critical sense the elements related to the spread of infectious agents, autonomy of judgment in the evaluation of experimental data.
"Communication skills": perfecting the disciplinary vocabulary in the field of microbiology and bacteriology, as well as describing phenomena and problems related to infections in a clear and concise way also to non-professionals. Ability to relate on the pathological characteristics of important microorganisms in infections with an appropriate scientific language, both in oral and written form.
"Learning skills": acquisition of the ability to acquire, deepen and update independently, through reading texts and scientific articles.
Ability to use the teaching material for a critical and reasoned study.