UIB
Universitat de les
Illes Balears
Master in Microbiology
COURSE DESCRIPTION
2006-2007 Academic Year
Technical information
Course
Course title: Biotechnical Applications of Microorganisms
Course code: a cumplimentar por el Centro de Tecnologías de la Información
Type of course: Optional
Level of course: Postgraduate
Year of study: First
Semester: First
Timetable: See the timetable for the Master in Microbiology programme
Language of instruction: Spanish/Catalan, reading comprehension skills in
English required
Lecturers
Supervising lecturer
Name: Dr. Jorge Lalucat
Contact: jlalucat@uib.es
Other lecturers
Name:
Name:
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Name:
Contact:
Contact:
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Contact:
Prerequisites:
A solid background (at the bachelor’s degree level) in biochemistry, molecular biology,
genetics, cellular biology, microbiology, plant-animal physiology and chemistry
Number of ECTS credits 7
Number of classroom hours: 46
Independent study hours: 129
Description:
Microbiological processes of industrial interest. Frequently used microorganisms.
Obtaining energy and primary and secondary metabolites of biotechnological interest.
New products and applications. Biotransformations. Bioremediation.
Course competences
Specific:
E8- Become familiar with the microbiology applications traditionally used in industry
as well as their use in combination with molecular genetics in biotechnology
E11- Learn microbiological handling techniques applied to industry
Generic:
G1- Acquire an integrated view of microorganisms, their biological properties and their
roles and applications in the fields of ecology, health, industry, agriculture and
biotechnology
G2- To enhance prior knowledge of microbiology and the elements involved in
developing and/or applying ideas at the research level as well as in other areas
Course contents
1. Historical development. Biotechnological products. Industrial microbiology. The
economics of biotechnological processes. Determinants of economic
competitiveness. Perlman’s laws. Patents.
2. Industrially used microorganisms. Isolation. Genetic improvements. Conservation
("run down"): lyophilization and freezing. Global esquema of a fermentation
process.
3. Microorganism cultivation. Culture medium formulation: nutrients needed for
microorganisms. Industrial media: water, carbon and energy source; nitrogen
source; growth factors. Addition of precursors and metabolic regulators. Other
conditioning factors (pH, temperature and osmotic pressure)
4. Aerobic fermentations. Demand and provision of oxygen. The effect of limiting
oxygen. The Thomson equation. Efficacy of aeration and its measure. Agitation.
Influence of anti-foamants. Oxygenation in different culture receptacles.
5. Sterilisation: Heat. Kinetics of thermal death. Decimal reduction time. Z value.
Activation energy. Sterilisation criteria: dry heat and moist heat. Continuous
sterilisation and by charging. Pasteurisation. UHT. Chemical substances. Radiations.
Filtration. Monitoring sterilisation.
6. Fermentation process. Liquid, semisolid and solid phase cultures. Air-lift.
Bioreactors. Inoculum preparation. Fermentation kinetics. Bacterial growth in yeasts
and moulds. Growth measure. Data collection and monitoring.
7. Growth kinetics and product formation. Growth rate according to nutrient
concentration (affinity with the substratum). Growth in complex media.
Relationship between growth and chemical and physical culture conditions.
8. Continuous cultures and their applications. Balance of nutrients. Product formation in
continuous cultures. Performance. Volumetric productivity. Continuous culture
versus discontinuous culture. Behaviour according to substratum constraints.
Theoretical situation versus a real situation. Variation in cell composition. Selection
in continuous cultures. Mutation.
9. Culture processing. Product recovery. Flocculation. Filtration. Centrifugation. Cell
rupture. Purification and concentration. Waste treatment. DBO and DQO. Economic
aspects.
10. Energy and Biotechnology. Conversion of products to alcohol from yeasts and
Zymomonas (gasohol). Methanogenic bacteria (biogas). Preparation of prime
materials. Transforming light into hydrogen and electricity.
11. Production of primary metabolites. Organic solvents. Glycerol from yeast. Acetonebutanol fermentation (Clostridium).
12. Organic acids. Citric acid: superproducing Aspergillus niger cells. Lactic acid:
homolactic and heterolactic fermentation; Lactobacillus, Streptococcus and
Bifidobacterium. Acetic acid; vinegar production (Acetobacter and Gluconobacter).
Acetogenic bacteria. Gluconic acid and derivatives. Incomplete oxidations.
13. Amino acids. Obtention through fermentation: producer strains. Glutamic acid
production: Corynebacterium glutamicum. Metabolic regulation and culture
medium. Alteration of permeability. Production of l-lysine. Indirect methods.
Transformation of precursors. Direct fermentation. Tryptophan production.
Production of nucleotides and their use.
14. Production de enzymes and their uses. Obtaining superproducer mutants, example
from the Bacillus genus. Proteases. Amylases, glucoamylases and glucosisomerases.
Recombinant and fungal renin. Pectinases. Peniclinamidasa.
15. Agriculture and Biotechnology. Nitrogen fixing. Preparation of bacterial inoculants
and their use in legumes: Rhizobium. Genetic engineering in nitrogen fixing.
Biological monitoring. Pesticide-resistant plants. Use of mycorrhizae. Bio
insecticide production: bacteria (Bacillus thuringiensis) and viruses. The
environment and treating waste.
16. Medicine and Biotechnology. Production of secondary metabolites: fungi and
bacteria. Antibiotics: ß lactams, amino glycosides, tetracyclines, macrolides,
anthracyclines, ansamycines. New products (interferon, growth hormone, molecular
diagnosis. Vaccines and therapeutic agents.
17. Biotransformations. The role of Gluconobacter. Steroids. Unicellular protein (SCP):
microalgae and bacteria. Regeneration of oxygen in closed ecological systems;
hydrogen bacteria.
18. Biotechnology and materials. Recover of metals, lixiviates (Thiobacillus). Bio
deterioration: metal corrosion. Production de biopolymers: biodegradable plastics
(PHB and PHA). Production de polysaccharides and their use (dextranes, alginates,
etc.).
19. Fermented food products. Dairy products: cheeses and yoghurts. Production of
bacterial starters and their use. Meat products. Mallorcan sobrasada. Lactic
antagonism. Health benefits of fermented products. Fermentation in silage:
succession of bacterial communities. Seville-style olive fermentation.
20. Biotechnological processes for obtaining drinks. Beer and similar products. Wine
and similar products. Genetic improvements in yeast strains. Bacterial malolactic
fermentation. Cognacs and liqueurs. Fermentation of cocoa and coffee.
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Methodology and student workload
Teaching method: Classroom sessions
Classroom/independent work: 20/20
E-learning: yes
Type of group: whole group
Teaching method: Laboratory
Classroom/independent work: 15/15
E-learning: yes
Type of group: pairs
Teaching method: Group work presentations (seminars)
Classroom/independent work: 4/8
E-learning: yes
Type of group: groups of 2/3, whole group presentation
Teaching method: Tutorials
Classroom/independent work: 4/0
E-learning: no
Type of group: groups of four
Teaching method: Theoretical work
Classroom/independent work: 0/30
E-learning: yes
Type of group: groups of 2/3
Teaching method: Theoretical study
Classroom/independent work: 0/46
E-learning: yes
Type of group: individual
7. Teaching method: Practical study
Classroom/independent work: 0/10
E-learning: yes
Type of group: individual
8. Teaching method: Evaluation
Classroom/independent work: 3/0
E-learning: no
Type of group: individual
Assessment instruments, criteria and learning agreement
Assessment criteria:
Knowledge of the microbiology applications traditionally used in industry as well as
their use in combination with molecular genetics in known applications such as
molecular biotechnology. Capacity to use microbiological handling techniques for
industrial uses. Students must attend practical sessions and pass the final exam to earn a
passing grade in the course.
Assessment instruments:
Final exam
Group work presentations
Presentation of a report on practical work
Group work
Practical lab work
Lecture classes
Grading criteria:
Final exam: 50%
Group work presentations: 15%
Presentation of a report on practical work: 15%
On-going assessment of group work: 10%
On-going assessment of practical lab work: 5%
On-going assessment of lecture classes: 5%.
Assessment based on a learning agreement:
No
Independent study material and recommended reading
Biotecnología: Tratado de Microbiology Industrial. Crueger y Crueger. Ed. Acribia
(1993).
Bioquimica i microbiologia industrials. A. Bordons. Univ. Rovira i Virgili. 2001.
Bibliography, resources and annexes
Biología de los Microorganismos de Brock. Madigan, Martinko, Parker. 10 edición.
Prentice Hall (2004).
Molecular Biotechnology. Principles and Applications. B. R. Glick and J .J. Pasternak.
ASM Press (1994 and 3rd ed. 2003).
Biotechnologie für Einsteiger.R. Rennenberg. Ed. Elsevier (2006).
Link to the course teaching guide