Laboratories of Microbiology

Recommended Prerequisites

General Biology, Biochemistry of Proteins, Nucleic Acids and Lipids, and elementary knowledge in Molecular Biology. It is also necessary laboratory experience: learn to correctly use laboratory equipment and know how to perform experimental procedures.

Teaching Methods

Students prepare and perform all practical work (based on basic protocols), interpret and critically analyze the results and propose alternatives, address the problems found, completing the protocol. Learn to handle all the equipment available specific or not for microbiology as laminar flow, Spectrophotometers UV / vis, electrophoresis, PCR.

The analysis of the results obtained by the students or "case study" (bioinformatics) is made at the end of each lesson.

During the experimental work, each student builds a lab notebook with the experimental protocols for use in laboratory evaluation.

Learning Outcomes

This course aims to obtain knowledge on safety practices in the microbiology laboratory, prepare and manipulate materials to work with microorganisms. Use basic qualitative and quantitative techniques to observe, collect, identify and count microorganisms. It is intended that the student apply the knowledge and techniques of the first part of the course in the study of environmental microbial diversity and on the recognition of gene regulation in bacteria. Theoretical concepts will be given on bioinformatics to be used in phylogenetic analysis and identification of bacteria. This unit will provide theoretical information and give practical skills in molecular techniques in microbiology. Students acquire information and practice in organizing and presenting orally scientific information.

Work Placement(s)

No

Syllabus

Basic principles of behavior in the microbiology laboratory: preparation of material, treatment of contaminated materials, safety rules.

General techniques of inoculation and cultivation of bacteria.

Microbial diversity in soil and water by cultivation; dilutions; colony counts

Isolation and cultivation of bacteria: purifying a culture; conservation of microorganisms

Morphological characterization of bacteria and fungi.

Methods and techniques of bacterial identification for clinical and environmental; molecular characterization

Bacteriological analyzes of water: the concept of indicator; filtration technique

Growth of microbial cultures in batch system: the mathematical calculation of microbial growth

* Gene regulation in bacteria: study of the lac operon

* Applications in epidemiology: typing of bacteria

* Bioinformatics: phylogenetic analysis of DNA sequences

Oral communication in science: practical results; bibliographic information technologies applied to microbiology

Head Lecturer(s)

Paula Maria de Melim Vasconcelos de Vitorino Morais

Assessment Methods

Assessment
Laboratory work or Field work: 10.0%
Synthesis work: 20.0%
Frequency: 20.0%
Exam: 50.0%

Bibliography

L. Prescott, J. Harley and D. Klein (2002) Microbiogy, 5th ed.,  McG-Hill Pub.

M. Madigan, J. Martinko, D.A. Stahl, D.P. Clark (2010)  Brock Biology of Microorganisms,13th ed., Benjamin Cummings, Prentice Hall International, Inc.

Microbe, www.microbebook.org. (Book ISBN or Item Number: 978-1-55581-320-8)

 M. Wheelis Principles of Modern Microbiology ISBN-10: 076371075X

Microbiology – An Evolving Science. http://www.wwnorton.com/COLLEGE/titles/biology/mbio/

Published papers in the area of Microbiology, mainly those involving studies using molecular techniques in the resolution of microbiological objectives