Environmental Microbiology

Code:

L.EA006

Acronym:

MA

Keywords
Classification	Keyword
OFICIAL	Natural Sciences (Biological Sciences)

Instance: 2021/2022 - 2S

Active?	Yes
Responsible unit:	Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering
Course/CS Responsible:	Bachelor in Environmental Engineering

Cycles of Study/Courses

Acronym	No. of Students	Study Plan	Curricular Years	Credits UCN	Credits ECTS	Contact hours	Total Time
L.EA	57	Syllabus	1	-	6	52	162

Teaching language

Portuguese

Objectives

1-Background: Environmental engineers make an increasing use of microorganisms to treat polluted sites; Additionally, environmental engineers have to implement methodologies to avoid biological contamination with harmful microorganisms. 2-Specific aims: The student should acquire basic concepts on (Micro)biology and to use them on the formulation, resolution and discussion of environmental problems; 3-Previous knowledge: Basic knowledge on biology and chemistry. 4-Percent distribution: Scientific component: 70% Technological component: 30% 5- Learning outcomes 1. Knowledge in (Micro)biology in order to apply it in the formulation, resolution and discussion of environmental problems; 2. Personal and professional skills and attributes, namely: reasoning and problem solving (identification and resolution of problems, estimation and qualitative analysis), experimentation and knowledge discovery (hypothesis formulation, survey of print and electronic literature), system thinking, personal skills and attitudes (perseverance and flexibility, creative and critical thinking, awareness of one’s personal knowledge, time and resource management), professional skills and attitudes (ethics, professional behaviour, integrity and professional responsibility); 3. Interpersonal skills: teamwork and communication (oral, written);

Learning outcomes and competences

Knowledge in (Micro)biology in order to apply it in the formulation, resolution and discussion of environmental problems; Personal and professional skills and attributes, namely: reasoning and problem solving (identification and resolution of problems, estimation and qualitative analysis), experimentation and knowledge discovery (hypothesis formulation, survey of print and electronic literature), system thinking, personal skills and attitudes (perseverance and flexibility, creative and critical thinking, awareness of one’s personal knowledge, time and resource management), professional skills and attitudes (ethics, professional behaviour, integrity and professional responsibility); Interpersonal skills: teamwork and communication (oral, written);

Working method

Presencial

Pre-requirements (prior knowledge) and co-requirements (common knowledge)

Fundamentals of chemistry.

Program

1. INTRODUCTION TO MICROBIOLOGY 2. THE CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF CELLS 2.1 Major chemical elements 2.2 Water as a solvent of biological systems 2.3 Main chemical components of cell structures 2.3.1 Polysaccharide 2.3.2 Lipids 2.3.3 Nucleic acids 2.3.4 Proteins 3. DIVERSITY OF LIVING CREATURES 3.1 Universal phylogenetic tree 3.2 Diversity of microorganisms (prokaryote, eukaryote and virus) 3.2.1 Prokaryotic and eukaryotic microorganisms (structure and morphological diversity) 3.2.2 Virus (morphology, infection and multiplication) 3.3 Methods to assess bacterial diversity in environmental samples (cultivable vs. non-cultivable) 4. CELLULAR STRUCTURES (COMPARATIVE STUDY OF ORGANISMS OF THREE BIOLOGICAL DOMAINS) 4.1 Cell membrane (structure and function) 4.2 Cell wall (structure and function) 4.3 Flagellar movement 4.3.1. Chemotaxis in prokaryotes 4.4. Dormancy (endospores, spores and cysts) 4.5 Extracellular and intracellular polymeric substances (glycocalyx and storage materials) 4.6 Pathogenicity mechanisms 4. CELL REPRODUCTION 4.1 Prokaryotic: asexual by binary fission 4.2 Eukaryotic: asexual (mitosis) and sexual (meiosis) 5. MICROBIAL POPULATION GROWTH 5.1 Quantification/enumeration methods 5.1.1 Total cells 5.1.2 Viable cells 5.1.3 Biomass 5.1.4 Turbidimetry 5.2 Discontinuous growth 5.2.1 Phases of growth 5.2.2 Kinetics 5.3 Kinetics of continuous growth in a chemostat 6. FACTORS WHICH CONTROL MICROBIAL GROWTH 6.1 Nutrients, temperature, pH, water activity, pressure and oxygen 6.2 Physiological/ecological diversity 7. NOTIONS OF MICROBIAL GENETICS 7.1 DNA replication 7.2 Genetic information transfer 7.2.1 Transcription 7.2.2 Genetic code 7.2.3 Ribosome 7.2.4 Protein biosynthesis (translation) 7.3 Contrasts in the transference of information in prokaryotes and eukaryotes 7.4 Genotypic variability vs. phenotypic variability 7.4.1 Genotypic variability 7.4.1.1 Mutations and mutagenic agents 7.4.1.2 Genetic recombination in prokaryotes and eukaryotes (transformation, transduction and conjugation) 8. METABOLISM 8.1 Anabolism and catabolism 8.1.1 Classification of organisms according to the energy and carbon source 8.2 Enzymes as biological catalysts 8.3 Catabolism 8.3.1 Introduction (high energy compounds, redox reactions and electron tower) 8.3.2 Catabolic processes 8.3.1 Glucoses, Krebs cycle and aerobic respiration 8.3.2 Fermentation 8.3.3 Aerobic respiration 8.3.4 Lithotrophy 8.3.5 Photosynthesis (anoxygenic and oxygenic) 9. BIOSYNTHESIS IN AUTOTROPHS 9.1 Calvin cycle 10. IMPORTANCE OF METABOLIC DIVERSITY OF MICROORGANISMS 10.1 Biogeochemical cycles (carbon, nitrogen and sulphur) 10.2 The use of microorganisms in wastewater treatment plant. LABORATORY:Examples of how to isolate, characterize and control the development of microorganisms in a sample. 1 Enumeration and isolation of microorganisms in a sample; 2 Characterization of colony and cell morphology of the isolates; 3 Physiological characterization of isolates 4 Evaluation of the potential of each isolate to decontaminate polluted environments; 5 Effects of antimicrobial agents (chemical and physical) on the  development of the isolates.

Mandatory literature

Madigan, Michael T; Brock biology of microorganisms. ISBN: 0-13-049147-0

Complementary Bibliography

Gray, NF; Biology of wastewater treatment, Imperial College Press, 2004. ISBN: 1-86094-328-4
Glazer, Alexander N.; Microbial biotechnology. ISBN: 0-7167-2608-4
Stryer, Lubert; Biochemistry. ISBN: 0-7167-2009-4
Hurst, Christon J. 340; Manual of environmental microbiology. ISBN: 1-55581-199-X
Bitton, Gabriel; Wastewater Microbiology. ISBN: 0-471-30986-9
Mitchell, Ralph; Environmental microbiology. ISBN: 0-471-59587-X
Halpern, Manuel Júdice 340; Bioquímica. ISBN: 972-757-042-9
Pelczar, Jr., Michael Joseph; Microbiologia. ISBN: 85-346-0196-8 (vol.1)
C. Manaia; Micróbios: pequenos seres com poderes de gigantes., Universidade Católica Editora Unipessoal, Lda, 2006. ISBN: 972-54-0131-X
L. M. Prescott, J. P. Harley, D. A. Klein; Microbiology, McGraw-Hill, 2005. ISBN: 0-07-255678-1
Glazer, Alexander N.; Microbial biotechnology. ISBN: 0-7167-2608-4
Henry Lutz Ehrlichh,Dianne K. Newman, and Andreas Kappler; EHRLICH’S Geomicrobiology, CRC Press, Taylor & Francis Group, 2016. ISBN: 978-1-4665-9241-4 (eBook - PDF)

Teaching methods and learning activities

Oral presentation of the program with the support of the board and Power Point slides. Students are encouraged to use a deductive reasoning and to participate in class.

Software

Excel e word

Evaluation Type

Distributed evaluation with final exam

Assessment Components

Designation	Weight (%)
Exame	70,00
Participação presencial	0,00
Trabalho laboratorial	30,00
Total:	100,00

Amount of time allocated to each course unit

Designation	Time (hours)
Estudo autónomo	106,00
Frequência das aulas	56,00
Total:	162,00

Eligibility for exams

To be admitted to exams, students have to: Attend at least 75% of the classes. Reach a minimum grade of 10 in the laboratorial exam.

Calculation formula of final grade

 

 

 

Final Mark = (0.7 NE) + (0.3 x NEXL) where, NEXL- Mark of the Laboratorial Exam;  NE – Mark of the Written Exam

Or

Final Mark = (0.5 NE + 0.2 MT) + (0.3 x NEXL) where, NEXL- Mark of the Laboratorial Exam;  NE – Mark of the Written Exam; MT- Short written test 

Examinations or Special Assignments

Written test. 

Special assessment (TE, DA, ...)

According to General Evaluation Rules of FEUP.

Classification improvement

A written exam at recurso (resit) season.