Microbial Ecology Course
MIP5121 | Microbial Ecology
Course coordinator: Prof. Rubens T. D. Duarte
Offered: Every first semester
Course type: Elective course
Programs: Agronomy, Biological Sciences, and Environmental and Sanitary Engineering
Schedule: Monday – 15:10-18:00
Throughout the course, students explore topics including culture-dependent and culture-independent methods, environmental factors affecting microorganisms, biogeochemical cycles, interactions between microorganisms and other organisms, microbial population and community dynamics, and diversity indices.
The course also addresses applications of microbial ecology in environmental assessment, wastewater treatment, waste management, and bioremediation.
Practical Activities
The course combines theoretical content with laboratory activities, allowing students to explore different approaches to the study of environmental microbial communities.
Practical activities include:
- Preparation and monitoring of Winogradsky columns;
- Viable cell counting;
- Selection and cultivation of microbial isolates;
- Assessment of spore-forming, cellulolytic, and phosphate-solubilizing microorganisms;
- Assessment of photosynthetic microorganisms;
- Soil respiration assays;
- Studies of xenobiotic biodegradation.
Microbial Ecology and Biotechnology
The course also highlights the potential of microorganisms in environmental biotechnology, relating microbial ecology to the understanding of elemental cycles, waste and wastewater treatment, and bioremediation processes.
The course integrates theoretical knowledge, experimentation, and discussion of current topics, contributing to the education of students interested in environmental microbiology, microbial ecology, biotechnology, and environmental conservation.
