MICROBIOLOGY AND APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY
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- Versione italiana
- Academic year
- 2022/2023
- Teacher
- PEGGY CARLA RAFFAELLA MARCONI
- Credits
- 9
- Didactic period
- Secondo Semestre
- SSD
- MED/07
Training objectives
- The course aims to provide students with sufficient elements to understand the biology of the main microorganisms, microbial habitats and their use at application (e.g. vaccines, recombinant DNA technology) and industrial levels.
The aim of the lectures is to:
• Understanding the world of microorganisms and their role in nature;
• Understand the positive interactions and harmful interactions between microorganism and environment, between microorganism and man.
• To acquire the knowledge to prevent and contain infections / contaminations and consequently infectious diseases.
• Understand the mechanism of action of the main antimicrobial and antiviral drugs;
• Understand the different applications of microbiology. Understanding, evaluating, applying microorganisms in industrial and production processes.
The practical part of the course, on the other hand, aims to:
• To provide the student with a basic knowledge of the techniques used in microbiological diagnostics
• put into practice the theoretical concepts learned during the course and provide students with the ability to apply some of the main microbiological methodologies currently used in various fields including the medical one
• acquire skills in analyzing the results obtained in microbiological laboratories. Prerequisites
- No formal prerequisites are required. However, in order to understand the course a basic knowledge in cellular biology, chemistry and biochemistry is strongly recommended.
Course programme
- The program is divided into 64 front hours which covers the following topics:
Ø History of microbiology. Prokaryotic and eukaryotic microorganisms, general characters. Classification of microorganisms.
Ø General bacteriology: structures of the bacterial cell. Classification and morphology of bacteria, bacterial metabolism. Spore and Biofilm. Differentiation and bacterial growth. Disinfection and sterilization. Bacterial genetics. The human microbiota. Pathogenic mechanisms in humans and related pathologies. Bacterial toxins. Protein toxins: botulinum toxin, tetanus toxin, diphtheria toxin, cholera toxin. Characteristics and mechanism of action. Endotoxins. Bacteriological diagnosis. Antibacterial drugs.
Ø Use of microorganisms in industrial and production processes.
Ø Biotechnologies in the pharmaceutical field.
Ø General Virology: Viruses. Virus classification, structure and replication. Viral pathogenesis. Antiviral drugs.
Ø General mycology: Fungi Generalities. Pathogenic mechanisms. Superficial mycoses from Candida and Dermatophytes and deep mycoses from Aspergillus and Cryptococcus. Antifungal drugs
Ø Use of fungi in industrial and production processes.
Ø Principles of immunology: phagocytosis, non-specific (natural immunity) and specific (acquired immunity) mechanisms. Innate and adaptive defenses against microbial invasion.
Ø General information on vaccines and vaccination strategies currently used
Ø General principles for laboratory diagnosis: direct and indirect diagnosis, principles of serological and molecular diagnosis.
Ø Special Bacteriology: Staphylococci, Streptococci, Clostridia, Enterobacteria (E.coli, Salmonella, Shighelle, Vibrioni, etc.), Helicobacter, Haemophilus, Bordetella, Pseudomonas, Mycobacteria, Neisserie, Chlamydia, Mycoplasmas.
Ø Special Virology: DNA Viruses: Papillomavirus, Adenovirus, Herpesvirus, Parvovirus, Hepadnavirus. RNA Viruses: Reovirus (Rotavirus), Picornavirus (Enterovirus, Rhinovirus), Togavirus, Flavivirus, Human retrovirus (Lentivirus: HIV), Paramyxovirus, Orthomyxovirus.
Microbiology laboratory
1 laboratory credit corresponds to 12 hours of practical laboratory
Laboratory: preparation of liquid and solid culture media, sterilization. Withdrawal from the oral cavity or skin and seeding of biological samples by plating on selective and non-selective media. Isolation of pure bacterial cultures and biochemical identification. Vital count, colony morphology analysis. Staining techniques (Gram stain) and optical microscope observation. Susceptibility to antibiotic agents (MIC, MBC, antibiogram). Biochemical tests for the identification of the microorganism. Didactic methods
- The course is organized as follows:
-64 hours of lectures on all topics of the course and direct assessment with the students, through dialogue and questions, the level of understanding of the various topics covered.
- 12/14 hours of laboratory practices that will put into practice the main microbiological topics and methods discussed in class. Learning assessment procedures
- The objective of the exam is to verify the level of achievement of the previously listed training objectives.
The exam is divided into 2 parts which will take place on different but consequential dates.
• A multiple-choice written test on all the topics covered in the course. The student must select one or two of the answers that believes to be correct from a list of four or five possible answers. The test aims to evaluate the study of the subject and the understanding of the basic elements. To pass this test and be able to access the oral exam, the student must reach the sufficiency which corresponds to 18.
• An oral exam, where appropriate terminology and an analytical / critical approach to the topics covered are assessed.
• If the written test is not passed, it is necessary to repeat the test to access the oral test. Reference texts
- RECOMMENDED TEXTS:
• Pharmaceutical Microbiology. 3rd Edition – Carlone N., Pompei R. – Edises Publisher
• The Basics of Microbiology. A. Harvey, P.C. Champ, B. D Fisher – Zanichelli Publishing House
• Murray P.R. – Microbiologia Medica, EMSI editore.
