BIOS548_Week25_LectureA (1)

University of Kent Microbial World Overview

Page 1: Overview

• Course: BIOS5480

• Module Convenor: Prof. Alessia Buscaino

• Focus: Microbiology

Page 2: Session Timetable

• 1. Course organisation

• 2. Interactive Learning and Feedback

• 3. Microbiology overview

Page 3: Module Team Contact Details

• Prof. Alessia Buscaino

  • Position: Reader in Fungal Epigenetics

  • Email: A.Buscaino@kent.ac.uk

  • Office number: 01227 816624

• Dr. Gary Robinson: Senior Lecturer in Microbial Technology

• Dr. Mark Shepherd: Senior Lecturer in Microbial Biochemistry

• Dr. Alex Moores: Lecturer in Microbiology

Page 4: Weekly Topics

• Weeks 25-29: The Microbial Genome (Lecturer: Prof. Alessia Buscaino)

  • Genome Diversity and Environmental Adaptation

  • Microbial Genetics

• Weeks 30-34: Microbial Culturing (Lecturer: Dr. Gary Robinson)

  • Growth, Biofilm, Specialised Structures, Microbial Communication

• Weeks 35-36: Bacterial Respiration (Lecturer: Dr. Mark Shepherd)

• Week 35 Practical (Dr. Alex Moores)

Page 5: Assessment Structure

• Practical: 40%

• Exams: 60%

• Feedback delivery methods:

  • "Test yourself" Moodle Quiz

  • Interactive Moodle Forum

  • Pre-Submission Practical Feedback

  • Turnitin for personalized 1:1 feedback

  • Practical Post-Submission Feedback

Page 6: Moodle Navigation (Week 25)

• Lecture Notes Summary:

  • Week 25 Lecture A

  • Week 25 Lecture B

  • Test yourself sections for various topics

Page 7: Introduction to Microbiology

• Definition: Study of microorganisms and their functionalities

• Two Themes:

  • Understanding the microbial world

  • Application for human and environmental benefit

• Historical context:

  • Earth age: 4.6 billion years; Microbial cells appeared 3.8-3.9 billion years ago.

  • Early atmosphere was anoxic, supporting only anaerobic microorganisms.

Page 9: Purpose of Microbiology

• Goals:

  • Understand the microbial world

  • Apply knowledge for humanity's benefit

Page 10: Evolution of Microbial Cells

• Earth history: 4.6 billion years

• Anoxic conditions(only N and CO2 were present)for the first 2 billion years

• Recent emergence of complex life forms (animals and plants) 500 million years ago.

• 3.8/3.9 bill years ago microbial cells

• 500 million years ago-animal and plants

Page 11: Three Domains of Life

• Classification based on common ancestor:

  • Domain Bacteria

  • Domain Archaea

  • Domain Eukarya

Page 12: Comparative Cell Structures

• Prokaryotic vs. Eukaryotic cell structures

• Size differences are substantial, with prokaryotic cells generally smaller.

Page 13: Cell Composition Differences

• Prokaryotes:

  • Nucleoid, no nucleus, simpler structure.

  • Cytoplasmic membrane and cell wall present.

• Eukaryotes:

  • Membrane-bound organelles like nucleus and mitochondrion present.

Page 16: Impact of Microorganisms on Humans

• Areas of impact:

  • Agents of disease

  • Agriculture, nutrition, food security, and environmental roles

Page 17: Pathogenic Microorganisms

• Only a minority are pathogenic.

• Pathogens: Harmful microorganisms

• Opportunistic pathogens: Harm only in immunocompromised hosts.

• Pathogenicity: Ability to cause disease.

Page 18: Control of Infectious Diseases

• Historical and modern disease control methods:

• The leading cause of deaths :1900 and today

• 1900: Infectious diseases such as pneumonia and tuberculosis were the leading causes of death.

• Today: Chronic diseases like heart disease and cancer dominate mortality statistics.

• • Improved sanitation, vaccines, and antimicrobial agents.

Page 19: Threats from Infectious Diseases

• Immunocompromised individuals are at higher risk. as they don’t have the ability to respond normally to an infection due to impaired or weakened immune system( examples cancer and HIV patients)

• Zoonotic diseases can be transmitted to humans.

Page 20: Staphylococcus aureus

• Opportunistic bacterial pathogen; normal flora in humans.

• Causes skin infections and can lead to serious illnesses.

• Antibiotic resistance (e.g., MRSA) is a growing concern.

• 20%-30% Of the human pop are long term carriers

• one of the five most common causes of hospital-acquired infections

• can cause a range of illnes from minor skin infections to life threatening disease

Page 21: Candida albicans

• Common opportunistic fungal pathogen; part of normal flora.

• Can cause a range of infections, significant annual mortality rate.

• >400000 deaths/year.

Page 23: Nitrogen Fixation in Agriculture

• Nitrogen is critical for plant growth (its a component of chlorophyll, amino acids ,ATP and nucleic acids) but unusable in its atmospheric form.

• Rhizobium bacteria fix nitrogen in plant root nodules for plant use.

Page 25: Microorganisms in Ruminants

• Digestive systems of ruminant animals rely on diverse microorganisms to break down cellulose.

Page 27: Human Microbiome Project Findings

• Microbiome diversity across individuals; most diverse in the gastrointestinal tract.

Page 30: Agricultural Threats from Microorganisms

• Fusarium species threaten onion production.

• onion is an important hoticultural crop.

• anulally:£9,500M(in the uk value of onion production £110yearmillion annually, making it a significant contributor to the agricultural economy.

• Fungi poses a threat as it can form long lived structures in the soil for years

Page 31: Food Spoilage and Microorganisms

• Microbial spoilage affects various food types, affecting quality and safety.

Page 33: Beneficial Uses of Microorganisms in Food Production

• Microorganisms in fermentation processes for dairy, bread, and beverages.

Page 34: Microorganisms in Biotechnology

• Example: Insulin production via recombinant DNA and transgenic bacteria.

• Microorganisms to generate commercially valuable product relies on genetic Engineering

Page 35: Key Takeaways

• Microorganisms are diverse and can be harmful or beneficial.

• Importance of understanding both prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells.