General concepts about microbial biotechnologies. Wastewater treatment, composting, bioremediation, microorganisms and plastic degradation, CO2 biofixation, biomineralization and its applications, microorganisms as biofertilizers and biostimulants in agriculture.
The teacher will provide relevant recent publications, mainly reviews, indicating, when necessary, the parts to be studied.
Learning Objectives
Learning objective of the course is to develop knowledge and competences regarding microbial biotechnologies used to protect soil and the environment in general. In particular, technologies aimed at preventing pollution or loss of function of ecosystems, as well as technologies for the restoration of degraded/polluted areas, with special reference to soil and its agricultural use. Knowledge will be acquired also in those microbial biotechnologies aimed at monitoring ecosystem status.
Frequency and active participation to the formative activities of the course (lectures, case study analysis, problem solving) and individual study will allow the student to:
-understand the functional role of microorganisms in the different ecosystems to comprehend their use in prevention and protection of the ecosystem itself;
-understand microbial processes at the base of the biotechnologies illustrated during the course and analyse the factors influencing microbial activity in the different processes, on the basis of their physiology and functional characteristics;
-acquire the capacity to evaluate the most suitable process to apply in order to attain an established objective in the prevention of pollution/degradation or in the restoration of an ecosystem, based on knowledge acquired on the characteristics of the different microbial groups and applicable technologies.
Transversal competences that will be acquired at the end of the course concern the ability to organize a team work, problem solving skills, critical evaluation and capacity to present the acquired contents with adequate argumentation and ability to make connections.
Prerequisites
The course requires that the student has acquired knowledge of nitrogen and carbon biogeochemical cycles and on general microbiology (main microbial groups, microbial metabolism).
Teaching Methods
The course will be structured as lectures with active student participation and interactivity. Case study analysis of will be proposed to exemplify and discuss some contents proposed during lectures on actual data. Team wok will be focused on problem solving, starting from topics emerged during lectures. Laboratory classes will allow a learning-by- doing approach for some of the concepts learned during lectures.
Further information
Supplementary materials will be charged on the MOODLE platform for the students that are interested to deepen some of the topics.
Type of Assessment
Learning verification will comprise the discussion of a report written by the student on the results of the team work performed during the course (up to 10 points), and an oral examination on the contents acquired during the course (up to 20 points). There will be questions on specific aspects of the contents proposed in the lectures, questions to evaluate problem solving skills, questions to evaluate the ability to connect and compare different topics treated during the lectures. The correct use of language will also be considered.
Course program
•General aspects on environmental protection in the European and global policies.
•Relationships between microbial ecology and environmental biotechnology. Impact of antroposphere on ecosphere and, in particular, on microorganisms.
•Concept of waste and recycling in the frame of a circular economy. Wastewater treatment in the frame of circular economy. Definitions about wastewaters and hints of Italian legislation. Characteristics of wastewaters and of the parameters used to describe them. Primary, secondary and tertiary treatment. Typologies of secondary treatments and adopted technologies: anaerobic treatments (digesters) and aerobic treatments (ponds, filters, biodiscs, activated sludge tanks and SBR). Biology of biofilm and activated sludge flocs. Microorganisms for nitrogen removal (nitrifier AOA, AOB, NOB and comammox; denitrifiers; anammox bacteria; DNRA bacteria; n-DAMO archaea and bacteria) and process combinations to reduce environmental impact. Biological phosphorus removal (PAO).
•Composting, definitions. Compostable materials. Composting techniques. Process phases and characteristics, factors influencing the microorganisms driving each phase and their physiological processes. Characteristics and uses of mature compost.
•Bioremediation, definition. Bioremediation techniques. Typologies of pollutants to be removed, microorganisms and microbial processes involved.
•Impact of plastics on natural microbial communities. State of the art on plastic degradation capacity of microorganisms. Potential for the development of microbial biotechnological processes aimed at mitigating the problem of plastic accumulation.
•Environmental biomonitoring through microorganisms to evaluate the effects of pollution and climate change. Phytoplankton as sentinel of ocean acidification.
•Microorganisms for sustainable agriculture. PGPR bacteria. Microorganisms and their derivatives for biofertilization and biostimulation. The new European legislation.
Sustainable Development Goals 2030
The course will treat topics related to several of the goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, in particular goal 13 on climate action and goals 14 and 15 aimed at protection of marine and terrestrial ecosystems. Other goals related to the course are: goal 6.3 (removal of pollution from waters); 2.4 (sustainable agriculture)