PřF:Bi6420 Microbial Ecotoxicology - Course Information

Bi6420 Microbial Ecotoxicology

Extent and Intensity

2/0/0. 2 credit(s) (plus extra credits for completion). Type of Completion: zk (examination).

Teacher(s)

prof. RNDr. Jakub Hofman, Ph.D. (lecturer)

Guaranteed by

prof. RNDr. Ivan Holoubek, CSc.
RECETOX – Faculty of Science
Contact Person: prof. RNDr. Jakub Hofman, Ph.D.

Timetable

Tue 9:00–10:50 409-stara KAM1

Prerequisites

NOW( Bi6420c Microbial Ecotoxicology - pr. )
Basics of general ecotoxicology and microbiology

Course Enrolment Limitations

The course is also offered to the students of the fields other than those the course is directly associated with.

fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with

• General Biology (programme PřF, B-BI, specialization Ekotoxikology)

Course objectives

At the end of the course, students should be able to:
- defend the use of microorganisms in ecotoxicology in relation to their properties and ecological roles
- explain how different microbial parameters (quantity, activity and diversity of microorganisms) can be used in ecotoxicological research of soil and water
- propose microbial methods to study specific environmental problems (toxicity testing or bioindication)
- analyse pros and contras of different methods from different points of view
- assess ecotoxicity and risks of chemicals and evironmental samples to microorganisms
- interpret and debate results of environmental studies with microorganisms

Syllabus

• 1. Microbial ecotoxicology as scientific discipline. Introduction, definitions and relations to other disciplines.
• 2. Microorganisms, their evolution, properties, metabolism and ecology.
• 3. Microorganisms in ecotoxicology. Reasons and benefits for their use. Specifics for procaryotic organisms in ecotoxicology, Microorganisms and toxic compounds. Bioavailability and solid phase toxicity.
• 4. General methodological approaches of microbial ecotoxicology. Toxicity tests in vitro and analysis of microbial communities in real environment – bioindication. Classification of stress indicators from the viewpoint of different level of integration of the effects and from the viewpoint of their ecological interpretation.
• 5. Sampling for microbial analyses and its specifics.
• 6. Quantification of microorganisms in ecotoxicology. Microscopic techniques, staining. Isolation and cultivation techniques, potential and limits. Microbial biomass, definition, methodology, interpretation. Microbial growth, kinetics, relation to degradation, endpoint in ecotoxicological tests.
• 7. Microbial activities in ecotoxicology I. Biogechemical cycles, importance of microbial activities – consequences of their changes by toxic compounds. Processes related to carbon cycle, mineralisation, respiration, methodology, standard test of soil microbiology, growth kinetics measured with respiration, examples.
• 8. Microbial activities in ecotoxicology II. Processes related to nitrogen cycle, nitrogen fixation, ammonification, nitrification and N mineralization, denitrification, methodologies, examples. Enzymatic activities, dehydrogenase activity, utilisation in simple tests. Bioluminiscence of microorganisms as ecotoxicological endpoint. ATP use in ecotoxicology. Anaerobic microbial activities.
• 9. Microbial diversity and its use in ecotoxicology I. Diversity of microorganisms, importance, context to ecosystem conditions. Microbial communities, evolution strategies, relationship to other organisms – symbiosis, mykorhizza. Genetic and molecular techniques, NA extraction from environment sample, amplification at PCR, gene probes, methodology (ARDRA, RFLP, DGGE etc.) – principles and use.
• 10. Microbial diversity and its use in ecotoxicology II. Analysis of PLFA, principles, interpretation, examples. Functional diversity, Biolog method, procedure, conception and interpretation, examples.
• 11. Ecotoxicology of microorganisms in real environment. Specifics of real environment. Microorganisms in soils, relation to soil factors, importance. Soil microbial ecotoxicology, conteptual approaches, interpretation, parameter batteries. Microorganisms in aquatic environment, specifics and consequences in ecotoxicology.

Literature

• MAIER, Raina M., Ian L. PEPPER and Charles P. GERBA. Environmental microbiology. San Diego: Academic Press, 2000, xix, 585. ISBN 0124975704. info
• TATE, Robert L. Soil microbiology. 2nd ed. New York: John Wiley & Sons, 2000, xxiii, 508. ISBN 0471317918. info
• Techniques in microbial ecology. Edited by Robert S. Burlage. New York: Oxford University Press, 1998, xii, 468. ISBN 0195092236. info
• ATLAS, Ronald M. and Richard BARTHA. Microbial ecology :fundamentals and applications. 4th ed. Menlo Park, California: Addison Wesley Longman, 1997, x, 694 s. ISBN 0-8053-0655-2. info
• Manual of environmental microbiology. Edited by Christon J. Hurst. Washington: ASM Press, 1996, 894 s. ISBN 155581087X. info
• ATLAS, Ronald M. Handbook of media for environmental microbiology. Boca Raton: CRC Press, 1995, iv, 540 s. ISBN 0-8493-0603-5. info
• Methods in applied soil microbiology and biochemistry. Edited by Kassem Alef - Paolo Nannipieri. London: Academic Press, 1995, 576 s. ISBN 0125138407. info

Teaching methods

Education is performed as lectures with Powerpoint prezentation. Understanding of mechanisms and consequences is emphasized. Students are frequently asked questions to think about actual topic. They are encouraged to ask questions and be in interaction with the lecturer.

Assessment methods

Attendance of the lectures is not mandatory but strongly recommended for fluent understanding of the educated subjects.
During the lectures, students are asked about subjects of past lecture.
Final assesment (at the end of semester) is by written examination. It is not multiple choice test but 50 questions, which frequently require description, explanation or schematization of asked topic. Questions have 1 - 3 points according to their difficulty. Total count is 100 and to pass at least 30 points are needed.

Language of instruction

Czech

Further comments (probably available only in Czech)

Study Materials
The course is taught annually.

• Enrolment Statistics (Spring 2011, recent)
  
• Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/sci/spring2011/Bi6420