72668 - Microbiology Applied to the Environmental Remediation and Bioenergy

Learning outcomes

At the end of the activity students will broaden their knowledge in General Microbiology topics by acquiring details on the main characteristics of microbial groups involved in bioenergy production from biomasses and in the biodegradation of environmental pollutants. Students will be able to apply acquired knowledge in the management of plants for bioenergy production and for the bioremediation of contaminated habitats.

Course contents

A)   Background information

Students approaching this teaching activity should have a good preparation in General Agriculture Microbiology and in Agricultural Biochemistry.

B) Teaching Units

The course is composed of 3 Teaching Units, each one having a theoretical part, performed via usual class teaching, and a practical part, performed via laboratory activity or visits to farms/factories

1) Approaches to the study of microbial populations in environmental habitats (8 hours)

 1.1Culture dependent and culture independent analytical techniques and their application to study environmental populations. Application to environmental samples of fluorescence microscopy and Confocal Laser Microscopy.

1.2 Visit to the Agroenvironmetal Microbiology Laboratory present in the Department of Agricultural Science to get familiar with possible applications of the techniques studied in 1.1 (4 hours).

Knowledge acquired in Teaching Unit 1: Students are able to decide autonomously the most appropriate technique for the microbial characterization of an environmental matrix.

2) Application of microorganisms in bioenergy and bioplastic production (20 hours)

 2.1 Biogas production: methanogenesis from microorganisms in anaerobic habitats. Substrates for methanogenesis. Most used bioreactor configuration for methanogenesis: free- and immobilized-cell reactors, expanded bed reactors, upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactors, two stage-reactors. Mesophylic and thermophylic biogas producing process.

 2.2 Bioethanol production: Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Zymomonas mobilis as biological agents, advantages and disadvantages of the two processes. First and second generation bioethanol. Pre-treatment of starch and of lignocellulosic materials. Bioethanol producing process from sugars and starch using yeasts: batch and continuous processes.

 2.3 Biohydrogen production: microorganisms employed in this process, hydrogenases. Hydrogen production via dark fermentation: mixed-acid fermentation and butirric fermentation, bioreactors used for this process. Hydrogen production via photosynthetic microorganisms: green microalgae, cyanobacteria, purple non-sulfur bacteria. Brief information on photobioreactors for microalgae production.

 2.4 Bioplastic production: synthetic plastics, biodegradable plastics. The concept of biodegradability and compostability. Polylactic acid: production, the role of lactic acid bacteria, properties. Starch based biopolymers: production and uses. Polyhydroxyalkanoates: production from pure and mixed cultures and from waste.

 2.5 Visit to a biogas producing plant in the surroundings of Bologna fed with waste products and biomasses (4 hours).

Knowledge acquired in Teaching Unit 2: Knowledge of the main microbial groups involved in bioenergy production. Basic knowledge of plants for bioenergy production. Knowledge of the main processes for bioplastic production.

3) Application of microorganisms for environmental remediation (12 hours)

3.1 Soil: feasibility of bioremediation technologies, biodegradability and toxicity of organic and inorganic pollutants, soil distribution of pollutants, potentiality ofmicroorganisms in soil pollutants degradation. In situ, on site and ex situ bioremediation technologies: natural attenuation, accelerated bioremediation,  bioaugmentation, bioventing, biosparging,  landfarming , biopiles, phytoremediation, treatment in bioreactors.
3.2  Water and wastewater: feasibility of bioremediation technologies, biodegradability of water pollutants, primary, secondary and tertiary treatments with a particular reference to secondary biological treatments. Microbiology of activated sludge and role of microorganisms in the process. Free- and immobilized-cells processes: percolation filters and beds, biofilters. Treatment of sludge and anaerobic digestion.

Knowledge acquired in Teaching Unit 3: Knowledge of the main microbial groups involved in environmental remediation. Basic knowledge of the technologies that exploit microorganisms for the treatment of wastewater and contaminated soils. Capability of performing a microbiological analysis of water.

Readings/Bibliography

It is important to study on the teaching materials used during classes (available to students) and on student notes.  For more details check in:

B. Biavati, C. Sorlini, Microbiologia agroambientale, Casa Editrice Ambrosiana, Milano, 2007.

Teaching methods

The course is composed of 3 Teaching Units. Each Unit has a theoretical part, performed via usual class teaching, and a practical part, performed via laboratory activity or visits to farms/factories.

1) Class teaching: students will be familiar with the microbiological processes involved in bioenergy and bioplastic production and in the biodegradation of environmental pollutants. They will also apply the acquired knowledge in the management of plants for bioenergy production and for the remediation of contaminated habitats (water and soil). 

2) Lab training and visits: students will get to know real situations to which theoretical knowledge in the field of applied microbiology can be used.

Assessment methods

Learning verification of the course Microbiology Applied to the Environmental Remediation and Bioenergy is through a final written test lasting 2 hours, which can be performed either in English or in Italian. Questions will be focused on the topics illustrated during class activities and practical activities and regarding all the Teaching Units ( Approaches to the study of microbial populations in environmental habitats,  Application of microorganisms in bioenergy and bioplastic production, Application of microorganisms for environmental remediation). The maximum score that can be acquired in each of the questions and the pass mark for a valid test will be indicated.

Students wishing to take the exam in English have to request it at least two days before the exam.

Teaching tools

Class teaching will be via slide projection and also a classic board. An internet connection is available in all teaching rooms. Lab training will take place in the teaching labs at the Department of Agricultural Science.

Office hours

See the website of Diana Di Gioia