Environmental microbial biotechnology
A.A. 2020/2021
Obiettivi formativi
The course aims to provide students with the basic knowledge in the ecology of the environmental microbial communities, the "environmental microbiomes": how they are selected in natural and man-made ecosystems and how they can be explored and exploited to obtain an environmental benefit. This knowledge will be applied to the main environmental biotechnologies in order to understand their functioning and the scope for improvement.
Risultati apprendimento attesi
The student will i) acquire the basic elements for the comprehension of the ecological and physiological mechanisms which sustain the functionality of environmental microbial communities, ii) understand the rational behind the "microbial resource management" approach in environmental biotechnologies, iii) gain an understanding about the main environmental microbial biotechnologies like bioremediation, sustainable bioenergy production and wastewater treatment, in terms of consolidated practices, problems still to be solved and research trends.
Periodo: Secondo semestre
Modalità di valutazione: Esame
Giudizio di valutazione: voto verbalizzato in trentesimi
Corso singolo
Questo insegnamento non può essere seguito come corso singolo. Puoi trovare gli insegnamenti disponibili consultando il catalogo corsi singoli.
Programma e organizzazione didattica
Edizione unica
Responsabile
Periodo
Secondo semestre
The 2021 course will start on March 1st at 14:30 in Microsoft Teams. In the course Ariel website is reported the code to access to the Team "Environmental Microbial Biotechnology"
The lessons will be synchronous and alternated: one week virtual and one week in-presence (C11 room). Remember to book your place in the classroom through the UNIMI web portal or Lezioniunimi (University's timetable app)
The in-presence lessons will be also delivered synchronously in Microsoft Teams
In case Milan will enter in the red zone of maximum severity risk, the lessons will be entirely virtually delivered in Teams
Exams, up the end of the sanitary emergency, will be oral
The lessons will be synchronous and alternated: one week virtual and one week in-presence (C11 room). Remember to book your place in the classroom through the UNIMI web portal or Lezioniunimi (University's timetable app)
The in-presence lessons will be also delivered synchronously in Microsoft Teams
In case Milan will enter in the red zone of maximum severity risk, the lessons will be entirely virtually delivered in Teams
Exams, up the end of the sanitary emergency, will be oral
Programma
The course will describe the potential of natural microbial communities to sustain environmental biotechnologies. After an overview of the ecological theories describing their assembly, the link between microbial diversity and function and its evaluation approaches, specific microbial biotechnologies will be described, aimed to i) environmental bioremediation (including wastewater treatment), ii) production of renewable energy from waste biomasses
Lessons in detail:
1) DIVERSITY AND FUNCTION IN MICROBIAL ECOSYSTEMS
- environmental biotechnologies and microbial ecology
- systems biology and -omics
- analyses of diversity and function in microbial communities
2) MICROBIAL BIOTECHNOLOGIES FOR BIOREMEDIATION
- principles and processes in bioremediation
- oil bioremediation
- reductive declorination
- rhyzoremediation
- metal bioremediation
- wastewater treatment
3) MICROBIAL BIOTECHNOLOGIES FOR THE PRODUCTION OF SUSTAINABLE ENERGY
- anaerobic digestion: production of bioCH4 and bioH2
- microbial fuel cells: production of bioelectricity and H2
- biofuel from CO2 by lytotrophic and phototrophic microorganisms
Lessons in detail:
1) DIVERSITY AND FUNCTION IN MICROBIAL ECOSYSTEMS
- environmental biotechnologies and microbial ecology
- systems biology and -omics
- analyses of diversity and function in microbial communities
2) MICROBIAL BIOTECHNOLOGIES FOR BIOREMEDIATION
- principles and processes in bioremediation
- oil bioremediation
- reductive declorination
- rhyzoremediation
- metal bioremediation
- wastewater treatment
3) MICROBIAL BIOTECHNOLOGIES FOR THE PRODUCTION OF SUSTAINABLE ENERGY
- anaerobic digestion: production of bioCH4 and bioH2
- microbial fuel cells: production of bioelectricity and H2
- biofuel from CO2 by lytotrophic and phototrophic microorganisms
Prerequisiti
Basic knowledge in: general microbiology and molecular biology; Chemistry; Biochemistry.
You can contact the teacher to obtain indications about texts and bibliographic references that can be studied to fill eventual knowledge gaps
You can contact the teacher to obtain indications about texts and bibliographic references that can be studied to fill eventual knowledge gaps
Metodi didattici
The course will consist in 22 frontal lessons and a field trip to visit one of the Milan wastewater depuration plants
Materiale di riferimento
Slides showed during lessons and scientific papers dealing with the course topics will be provided to the students through the ARIEL platform.
Modalità di verifica dell’apprendimento e criteri di valutazione
The final examination is based on the answer to open questions on specific topics described during the course. The exam will be written: 2 questions, 1.5 hours
Docente/i
Ricevimento:
tutti i giorni previo appuntamento
Ufficio: via Mangiagalli 25, terzo piano, sezione microbiologia agraria