65820 - Microbiology and Molecular Virology

Learning outcomes

The Course (6 CFU) generates the following learning outcomes: - Molecular aspects involved in cell-cell and cell-environment interaction (Quorum Sensing); - Molecular steps in microbial biofilm formation; - Biochemical and molecular aspects in microbial bioconversion of toxic compounds and bioprocessing of metal and metalloids; - Microbial generation of biofuels; - Microbial genomics and bioinformatics; - Molecular aspects of the interaction virus-host; -Viral strategies re-addressing cellular functions to complete the viral replicative-cycle; - Main procedures to construct recombinant viruses; - Evaluation in the use of recombination mediated genetic engineering (recombineering) in the construction of recombinant viruses.

Course contents

Lessons of molecular microbiology (frontal lessons, 3 CFU equal to 24 hr in total):

- Applied and molecular aspects of biofilm generation;

- Molecular aspects of cell-cell and cell-environment interaction (Quorum Sensing);

- c-di-GMP in signal transduction;

- Microbial genome plasticity;

- Principles of microbial genomics and bioinformatics;

- DNA sequencing technologies;

- Principles of synthetic microbiology

 

Lessons of molecular Virology (1 CFU of frontal lesson equal to 8 hr + 2 CFU of lab activity equal to 38 hr):

- Introduction to viruses genetic content (1 hour);

- Molecular basis of virus-host interaction (2 hours);

- Comparative analysis of the possibility to use different viruses to modify cellular functions (2 hours);

- Analysis of available techniques used to generate recombinant viruses (1hour);

- Recombineering: theory and applications (2 hours);

- Recombineering: an experimental approach (30 hours)

Readings/Bibliography

No specific text-books are required. The material used can be obtained on-line in the form of scientific reviews and/or specific publications in ISI journals. Alternatively, the material will be given to students as printed papers or it will be inserted on-line at the web site https://iol.unibo.it

Teaching methods

The Course consists of 6 CFU in total (4 CFU equal to 30 hr of frontal lessons and 2 CFU of laboratory practice). This latter lab activity will be performed at the BioTech Labs (Navile, via Beverara Bologna) having single bench working-positions and biohazard-hoods. The aim of this lab practice is the following: a) to get use with laboratory instrumentations of microbiology and virology; b) to get enough skilfull to handle biological specimens under safety conditions; c) to reach the learning outcomes

Assessment methods

The aim of the final Course examination is to reach the following learning outcomes, that is to know: -Molecular aspects involved in cell-cell and cell-environment interaction (Quorum Sensing); - Molecular steps in microbial biofilm formation; - Mechanisms at the basis of microbial genome plasticity; - DNA sequencing technologies; - Basic aspects of microbial genomics and synthetic microbiology molecular aspects of the virus-host interaction; viral strategies re-addressing cellular functions to complete the viral replicative cycle; main procedures to construct recombinant viruses; evaluation of the use of recombination mediated genetic engineering (recombineering) in the construction of recombinant viruses.

The final Course examination consists of two written exams, one regarding the topics covered during the molecular microbiology course and the other on molecular virology plus lab-questions. The final mark will come out by the average of the marks obtained in both written exams.

Teaching tools

Didactic material: material used for frontal lessons will be given to students in digital format. Frontal lessons consist in power-point presentations on specific topics of research.

Scientific research papers and reviews as well as online resources will be made available to get deep into specific topics explained during the course.

Office hours

See the website of Renato Brandimarti

See the website of Martina Cappelletti