Objectives and competences

The course is dedicated to the study of the diversity of prokaryotic microorganisms – phylogeny, ecophysiology and metabolism. It is aimed to stimulate in students an attitude of critical observation and reflection in relation to microbial diversity and the respective uses, applications and impacts.

Teaching Methodologies

Lectures, tutorials, laboratory work

Syllabus

Lectures:
Methodological approaches used in studies of microbial populations and communities
Prokaryotic diversity - Taxonomy, Metabolism, Ecophysiology
Factors underlying the prokaryotic diversity
Prokaryotic diversity – an overview of the most well-known phyla of domains Bacteria and Archaea

Lab:
Design of a protocol for the isolation of specific microbial groups and selection of sampling site.
Isolation, maintenance and characterization of the bacterial isolates
Oral presentation of the lab research project

Tutorial: Active learning topic, novel in each course edition.