Delivery Type	Delivery length / details
Lecture	30 x 1h lectures
Seminars / Tutorials	6 x 1h seminars

Assessment Type	Assessment length / details	Proportion
Semester Assessment	2000 word essay (20%) Microbial growth assignment (20%)	40%
Semester Exam	2 Hours	60%
Supplementary Exam	2 Hours exam plus resubmission of failed or missing coursework	100%

Learning Outcomes

On completion of this module students will:

Be familiar with the growth of microorganisms in artificial culture, appreciate how their growth is inhibited and how their physiology will change depending on the environment they inhabit

be aware of the immense metabolic versatility of bacteria and fungi, which allows them to be capable of growth almost anywhere

be aware of the current research strategies in the industrial sector that exploit microbial bioprocesses to over-produce many medically and economically important compounds

appreciate that individual bacterial cells can communicate and regulate their physiology using signalling molecules

appreciate the methods used for studying heterogenous bacterial populations.

Aims

In the post-genomic era microbial physiology and biochemistry are of paramount importance and this module will provide theoretical training in the processes involved in microbial growth and its measurement and control. The content will emphasise the immense diversity of environments that microbes inhabit and how this unlimited source of biological activity can be exploited for biotechnological purposes including specific examples of industrial bioprocesses. Although the emphasis is on the positive benefits of microorganisms, the potential for misuse of microbial biotechnology will also be discussed.

Content

The lectures cover the following topics:

Introduction to the ubiquity of microbes.
Microbes and enzymes from extreme environments
Nutrition of microorganisms.
Growth of microorganisms in artificial culture.
Inhibition of growth and death.
Microbes in the environment.
Diversity of microbial fermentations.
Bacteria as individuals rather than a population.
Screening for new metabolites and strain development.
Industrial methods of fermentation and downstream product recovery.
Industrial processes using microorganisms, with worked examples.
The role of biotechnology in bioterrorism.
Carotenoids and light-protection in Gram -ve bacteria
Population behaviour in myxobacteria

Course Delivery

Assessment

Learning Outcomes

Aims

Content

Reading List

Notes