Base Knowledge
Not applicable
Teaching Methodologies
Lecture classes will focus on the explanation of the basic concepts of the course and practical classes in the execution of laboratory work. In the practical classes, the laboratory work is carried out on accordance to the lectures subjects. All study material is made available through a digital platform
Learning Results
At the end of this unit course, the student should be able to: i) Know the main safety rules in microbiology laboratories; ii) Acquire the basic concepts of Microbiology; Recognize microorganisms in the environment. Iii) Recognize the main methods of microorganisms control. Iv) Determine the nutritional requirements and the appropriate microbiological environment for microorganisms; Recognize the methodologies for microorganisms cultivation. v) Prepare culture media and use sterilization and asepsis techniques; Transfer and isolate cultures in aseptic conditions. vi) Characterize microorganisms by microscopic techniques. vii) Quantify the microorganisms present in a sample.
Program
LECTURES:
1. Safety and operation in Microbiology Laboratories. Safety rules.
2. Inoculation, isolation and microbiological control. Inoculation and isolation techniques in aseptic conditions. Fundamentals of microbiological control. Main physical agents for microorganisms control. Main chemical agents for microorganisms control.
3. Main groups of microorganisms: Algae, fungi, protozoa and prokaryotes. Nutritional requirements and microbiological environment. Main chemical elements used as nutrients. Nutritional classification of microorganisms. Culture media used in microorganisms cultivation.
4. Microscopy. Main types of microscopes: optical and electronic. Main types of microscopy: bright field, dark field, phase contrast, scanning and transmission electron microscopy. Dying techniques. Characterization of microorganisms by microscopic techniques.
5. Cultivation and growth of microorganisms. Factors that affect microbial growth. Methodologies for cultivation of microorganisms. Quantification of the number and biomass of microorganisms. Quantitative determination of microbial growth. Counting methodologies.
6. Structure of eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells. Microorganisms latent forms.
LABORATORIAL PRACTICE:
Execution of lab works on: Techniques for sterilizing laboratory material and culture media. Isolation, cultivation, quantification, identification and characterization methods for microorganisms.
Curricular Unit Teachers
Internship(s)
NAO
Bibliography
1) Amaral, AL. Course documentation, 2022.
2) Amaral, AL. Laboratory protocol, 2022.
3) Willey, Sherwood, Woolverton. Microbiology, 11th Ed., McGraw Hill, NY, 2019.
4) G. Black. Microbiology – principles and explorations, 10th Ed., John Wiley & Sons, NJ, 2018.
5) James G. Cappuccino, Natalie Sherman, Microbiology: a laboratory manual – 11th ed. – Menlo Park, CA: Benjamin/Cummings Science Publishing, 2017
6) Collins, Patricia M. Lyne, J. M. Grange, Collins and Lyne’s Microbiological Methods – 8th ed. – Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann, 2004.
7) S. Isaac e D. Jennings, Microbial Culture, Bios Scientific Publishers, 1995.
8) Harry W. Seeley, Paul J. VanDemark, John J. Lee, Microbes in action: a laboratory manual of microbiology – 4th ed. – New York: W. H. Freeman and Company, 1991