Ateneo - UPO

The course is focused on the application of microorganisms in environmental

Environmental Microbiology (Maier and Pepper Set) by Ian L. Pepper and Charles P. Gerba

The main objective of the course is to provide the student a complete overview of the possible exploitation of microorganisms in environmental applications, food production and biotechnology.

The student should have a good knowledge on microbiology, ecology and biochemistry

The lectures wil be based on Power point slides that will be provided to the students on electronic platform. In depth knowledge will be possible by reading reviews on specific topic

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 examination will be oral and aim to assess the knowledges that the student acquired on the topics developed during the course, especially on environmental microbial ecology, on the beneficial microorganisms, on the biotechnological processes related to food production.The difficulty level of the question correspondsto the programme of the course and to the book suggested in the DIR platform. The exame will have a positive results when the student will reach at least 18/30. The student should demonstrate to have understood the more relevant concepts and be able to describe correctly these concepts.

The world of Prokaryotes. Concept of population, community and ecosystem. Growth of microorganisms in natural environment: environmental arameters affecting microbial growth. Interactions among microorganisms: competition, neutralism, commensalism, parassitism, predation, symbiosis. Microbiology of extreme environments. The soil, chemical, physical, biological characteristics. Methods available for soil analysis. Culture dependent and independent methods. The rhizosphere: PGPR and biofertilizers, biocontrol agents. Human and plant pathogenic microorganisms in the rhizosphere . Soil biodiversity. The phyllosphere: microorganisms living on the plant leaves. Human and plant pathogenic microorganisms in the phyllosphere. Suppressive soils: take all decline and fusarium wilt. The waste composting process: role of microorganisms Viable but not culturable bacteria: ecological and clinical relevance. Bioremediation and assisted phytoremediation. Quorum sensing and interspecific communication. Quorum quenching. One health paradigm and zoonosis.

Knowledge and understanding capability: At the end of the lectures the student should have huge knowledge of environemntal microbial ecology and of the way to apply microorganisms in this field. Moreover, the student should use an adequate scientific language. Knowledge and applied understanding: capability to understand the information received during the lectures and arrive to their applicative implications. Judgement- making autonomy: capability to critically analyze the information received during the course. Communication skills: improvement of the scientific language and capability to clearly describe events and critical issues related to food microbiology and biotechnology also to non expert people. Learning capability: the student should reach the capability to learn, and to update himself by reading scientific papers. This will allow the student to understand the applicative aspects of environmental microbiology. The student should be able to apply this specific knowledge in a practical working context.