Industrial Microbiology

Code:

MI074177

Acronym:

MICRIN

Keywords
Classification	Keyword
OFICIAL	Health Sciences

Instance: 2019/2020 - 2S

Active?	Yes
Responsible unit:	Microbiology Laboratory
Course/CS Responsible:	MSc in Pharmaceutical Sciences

Cycles of Study/Courses

Acronym	No. of Students	Study Plan	Curricular Years	Credits UCN	Credits ECTS	Contact hours	Total Time
MICF	12	Official Curriculum	4	-	3	52	81

Teaching language

Portuguese

Objectives

The Industrial Microbiology is the part of Microbiology that is dedicated to the production of goods and services by microorganisms. The diversity of application areas of Industrial Microbiology, such as pharmaceuticals, food, agriculture, energy, textiles and waste treatment, justifies the current significance and impact of this Curricular Unit. With this Curricular Unit it is intended to provide students with knowledge about:

a) Microbial species used in industrial processes and characteristics that give them potential interest to industry;

b) Manipulation of microbial strains for industrial purposes - biochemical and genetics regulation;

c) Methods of monitoring and regulating factors of microbial growth in batch, semi-batch and continuous culture systems;

d) Theoretical basis about operating and control parameters of different types of industrial fermentation.

 

Within the scope of transversal competences, this Course Unit aims to contribute to the development of:

a) Cognitive Competencies: analytical, critical, reflective and creative thinking;

b) Methodological skills: time management, planning capacity;

c) Social Competences: interpersonal communication and collaborative work.

Learning outcomes and competences

With this Curricular Unit, it is also intended to promote the contact of the students with real situations of microbiological processes in national and international industry in the areas of health, food, textiles and waste treatment; to make the student to be capable to propose the best system for the microbial production of a product and to criticize current problems within the scope of Industrial Microbiology, suggesting solutions for the optimization and development of new microbial handling practices in the industry.

 

Working method

Presencial

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

In this Curricular Unit, it is assumed that the knowledge provided in basic courses, including General Microbiology and Mycology was acquired.

Program

Part I –Theoretical classes

I) Introduction to Industrial Microbiology. General concepts. Historical aspects. Social and economic importance. Areas of intervention of Industrial Microbiology. Microorganisms with industrial application: desirable characteristics for bacteria, yeasts and molds. Culture media in industrial production.

II) Manipulation of microbial strains for industrial purposes. Mechanisms regulating metabolism. Collection of industrial microbial cultures. Genetic manipulation of microbial strains: genetic tools.

III) Industrial Fermentations. Microbial growth: kinetic and regulatory factors. Biomass determination, specific growth rate, yield coefficient metabolic rate of product formation. Growth in batch, semi-batch and continuous systems. Concept of fermentation. Types of industrial fermentation. Types of fermenters. Industrial applications. Phases of a fermentation process. Measurement and control of parameters involved in the fermentations. Strategies of change of scale. Methods for recovering products. Productivity and yield.

IV) Application of microorganisms in pharmaceutical industry. Production of antibiotics and cytostatic agents, enzymes and proteins of human origin, microorganisms used, methods of production, product recovery.

V) Application of microorganisms in food industry. Conservation: microorganisms used, advantages and disadvantages. Production of dairy products, bread and beer: critical factors of productivity dependent on species, strain, and substrates used, methods of production, product recovery, microbial contaminants.

VI) The use of microorganisms in the treatment of industrial wastes: key aspects on the use of microorganisms. Bioremediation.

VII) Examples of microbiological processes in the national industry in the areas of health, food, textiles and waste treatment.

VIII) Seminars under the scope of Industrial Microbiology. Scientific Meeting on Microbial and Pharmaceutical Biotechnology.

 

Part II – Laboratory classes

Construction of growth curves of a microorganism by spectrophotometry and by colony forming unit counts. Growth kinetics: determination of doubling time and specific growth rate. Genetic manipulation of yeast strains: mutations and mutant selection; transformation; expression and purification of recombinant proteins in yeast. Biotechnological production of yogurt and beer: general concepts, microbial strains involved, demonstration of the fermentative processes. Presentation of a scientific paper and a topic within the scope of the Curricular Unit. Study visit.

Mandatory literature

Nduka Okafor, Benedict C. Okeke; Modern Industrial Microbiology and Biotechnology, RC Press , 2017. ISBN: 9781138550186
David B Wilson, Hermann Sahm, K Peter Stahmann; Industrial Microbiology, Wiley-Vch, 2019. ISBN: 3527340351 (ISBN13: 9783527340354)

Complementary Bibliography

Clarke W; Biotechnology Industrial Microbiology: A Textbook , CBS Publishers, 2016. ISBN: ISBN 10: 8123929056/ISBN 13: 9788123929057
Farshad Darvishi Harzevili, Hongzhang Chen; Microbial Biotechnology: Progress and Trends, CRC Press, 2017. ISBN: 9781138748699

Teaching methods and learning activities

a) Lectures (2 hours/week): recourse to the available media, especially Power Point presentations and didactic videos. Students will also contact with professionals from national laboratories and industry in the areas of health, food, textiles and waste treatment, in order to create an interaction between theoretical and real situations of national Industrial Microbiology.

b) Laboratory classes (2 hours/week): Students will be involved in the laboratory work, in the presentation of a scientific paper and in the presentation of one topic within the scope of the Curricular Unit.

E-Learning platform (Moodle):
- Students are provided with a page of the curricular unit on the Moodle platform with pedagogical content and communication tools essential for learning. In this page, the students will find not only the content in PDF format of all the slides of the classes, but also scientific articles, didactic videos, different bibliographic material to support the teaching of the UC.
- Communication with students is facilitated by the tool prompts the platform Moodle and by e-mail.
- Discussion forums are established that involve the subject addressed within the scope of the curricular unit's program.

Evaluation Type

Distributed evaluation with final exam

Assessment Components

designation	Weight (%)
Exame	50,00
Trabalho prático ou de projeto	35,00
Apresentação/discussão de um trabalho científico	15,00
Total:	100,00

Amount of time allocated to each course unit

designation	Time (hours)
Frequência das aulas	52,00
Apresentação/discussão de um trabalho científico	2,00
Elaboração de projeto	8,50
Estudo autónomo	18,50
Total:	81,00

Eligibility for exams

The attendance of students at theoretical lectures is not mandatory. The attendance of students at laboratory classes is mandatory; students whose attendance is below 75% of the classes taught will not have approval.

Calculation formula of final grade

The evaluation follows the ongoing "Evaluation Rules" at FFUP. The final evaluation will be obtained taking into account two parameters:

- Presentation of a practical work - 50%;

- Final written exam on the subjects exposed in theoretical and practical lectures - 50%. Only students that achieve a final classification of 9 values will be approved.

Examinations or Special Assignments

Not applicable.

Special assessment (TE, DA, ...)

It is held in accordance with the ongoing evaluation rules at FFUP.

Classification improvement

Students have the right to request a final exam to improve their evaluations, according to the FFUP rules. The repetition of the exam can only be performed once and for the final written exam. The final evaluation will be the higher evaluation obtained in the two performed exams.

Observations

Changes arising from the Covid-19 Contingency Plan:

- Despite the changes imposed to the "Teaching Methods and Learning Activities", the CU program was taught in its entirety with the following adjustments:

• Theoretical classes from summary no. 5 started were conduceted remotely, by making classes recorded at Panopto and didactic videos, in accordance with what is indicated in each summary, and by conducting ZOOM videoconference sessions.
• Laboratory classes starting from summary no. 6 started to take place at a distance, through the provision of didactic videos and through ZOOM videoconference sessions.

- CU evaluation took place with the evaluation elements provided and with the same formula for calculating the final classification:

• The work done by the students (scientific article and bibliographic research) was presented and discussed by ZOOM videoconference.
• The final evaluation of the CU was carried out through the Moodle platform remotely through ZOOM videoconference sessions.