Microbial Biotechnologies Applied to Plant Production

The teaching program includes the presentation and discussion of the following topics:
-Study of environmental microbial communities (microbial ecology methods). Microbial identification
-Role of microorganisms in soil formation, fertility maintenance and cycle of organic matter. Soil microbiome, rhizosphere microbiome, phyllosphere microbiome
-Plant-microbe interactions: mycorrhizal symbiosis and nitrogen-fixing symbiosis to support plant production. In-depth study on the molecular dialogue between plant and microorganisms in the formation of the root nodule in the case of legumes and actinorrhizae
-Plant Growth Promoting Microorganisms: i) microbial mechanisms of direct plant promotion, biostimulation and biofertilisation, ii) microbial mechanisms of indirect plant promotion, antagonistic microorganisms, iii) plant-microbe interactions and bacteria recruitment from plants. Microbial inoculants: production, quality monitoring, agronomical effects
-Microorganisms associated to insects: primary and secondary symbionts, reproductive manipulators, gut symbionts. Bacillus thuringiensis. Symbiotic control of detrimental insects or vectors of phytopathogens
-Microbial biotechnologies for plant biomass transformation and disposal: anaerobic digestion, sludge treatment, photosynthetic organisms for biofuel production
-Environmental microbial biotechnologies: soil bioremediation. Rhizoremediation