Ecobiology

General objectives At the end of the course the students will have acquired knowledge on microbial ecology and on the role of natural microorganisms to degrade and to remove contaminants. The student will be also able to describe classic culture, biochemical and biomolecular methods to study and to detect microorganisms potentially able to recover soil and water from contamination. Finally, the student will be able to assess the most suitable technology (e.g. biostimulation, bioaugmentation, phyto-assisted bioremediation) to apply versus several classes of contaminants. - Specific objectives Knowledge and understanding The student will acquire knowledge on homeostatic capabilities of microorganisms and their main metabolic pathways (metabolism and co-metabolism) for transforming and degrading contaminants. The student will be able to understand and to apply different approaches to assess the potential remediation capabilities of natural microbial communities. Moreover, he/she will be able to suggest the most suitable bioremediation strategy (e.g. biostimulation, bioaugmentation, phyto-assisted bioremediation) in each case-study. Ability to apply knowledge and understanding The student will acquire the skills to use the most suitable methods for identifying and studying microorganisms with specific degradative capabilities. Furthermore, the student will be able to select the most appropriate bioremediation strategy for each case-study. Critical and judgmental capacities The student during the course and, especially during the laboratory practices, will see application of soil or water bioremediation in laboratory or greenhouse microcosms. The student will sample and analyse soil and water samples choosing the most suitable microbiological methods with critical and judgemental skills. Communication skills The student can select a contaminant for which searching all the information required to perform a propaedeutic bibliography research, before starting a bioremediation application. The teacher will support and encourage the student to perform an oral presentation on the topic selected to the others students. Learning skills The student will acquire the capability to design a site-specific protocol for assessing the potential of natural microorganisms to recover contaminated soil or water. Moreover, the student will be able to suggest the specific bioremediation strategy to be applied using a multidisciplinary and ecological approach.