Microbial Physiology and Diversity

Paper Code: 
MBL 123
Credits: 
05
Contact Hours: 
75
Objective: 

to enable students to-

  • Understand Photosynthesis in microbes.
  • Understand different type of bacterial fermentations.
  • To learn about different types of chemolithotropic pathways.
  • To have an overview of nitrogen metabolism, purines and puyrimidines.
  • To learn about signaling mechanisms and microbial response to stress.
13.00
Unit I: 
Utilization of sugars and Bacterial fermentations

Utilization of lactose , galactose, maltose.

Alcoholic fermentation, lactate fermentation homo and heterolactic fermentations, butyrate and butanol acetone fermentation, mixed acid fermentations.

Rumen as an anaerobic system.

14.00
Unit II: 
Photosynthesis

Oxygenic photosynthetic microbes and anoxygenic photosynthetic microbes.

Brief account of photosynthetic and accessory pigments- chlorophyll and bacteriochlorophylls, rhodopsin, carotenoids, phycobiliproteins;

oxygenic-anoxygenic photosynthesis, autotrophic generation of ATP

 Carbohydrates - anabolism; fixation of CO2 - Calvin cycle

15.00
Unit III: 
Chemolithotrophy

Oxidative transformation of metals: sulphur oxidation, iron oxidation, ammonia oxidation and hydrogen oxidation.

Microbial diversity in anoxic ecosystem - methanogens - reduction of carbon monoxide - reduction of iron, sulphur, manganese, nitrate and oxygen

13.00
Unit IV: 
Nitrogen metabolism, Purines and Pyrimidines

Biological nitrogen fixation process, components of nitrogenase enzyme, symbiotic nitrogen fixation, Denitrification, biosynthesis and degradation of amino acids.

Biosynthesis and degradation of purines and pyrimidines, salvage pathway.

20.00
Unit V: 
Signaling mechanisms and Microbial stress response

Prokaryotic signaling, Two component signaling systems

Quorum sensing and bacterial pheromones, intracellular signaling, signaling pathways.

Microbial stress response, stress proteins

Cold and heat shocks, oxidative, and starvation stress.

Bioluminescence

ESSENTIAL READINGS: 
  1. Biochemistry and Molecular Biology by W.H. Elliot and Daphne C. Elliot, Oxford University Press, (3rd Edition), 2005.
  2. Biochemistry, 5th edition L Stryer, W H Freeman and Co., New York, 2001
  3. Biochemistry, D.Voet and J.G.Voet, John Wiley & Sons, (2nd Edition), 1995.
  4. Biochemistry, J. David Rawn, Panima Publishing Corporation, 1st Indian Reprint, 2004.
  5. General Microbiology, R Y Stanier, J L Ingharam, M L Wheelies, P R Painter, Mac Millan Education Ltd, 1999
  6. Microbial Diversity, D Colwd, Academic press, 1999.
  7. Microbial Physiology, 4th edition, A G Moat and J W Foster, John Wiley and Sons, Inc., 2002
  8. Principles of Biochemistry, Lehninger  ,Nelson and Cox, (3rd Edition), 1999.
REFERENCES: 
  1. An Introduction to Nitrogen fixation, J R Gallon and A E Chaplin, Cassell Education Ltd, 1987
  2. Biochemistry, 23rd edition, Harper, Appleton and Lange Prentice Hall, 1993
  3. Biology of Microorganisms, 10th edition, T D Brock, M T Madigan, Pearson Education, Inc., 2003
  4. Instant Notes- Biochemistry (1st Indian Edition), B.D. Hames and N.M. Hooper, Viva Books Pvt, Ltd., 2001.
  5. Microbial diversity: current perspectives and potential applications, Satynarayana T. & Johri B.N. I.K. International Pvt. Ltd. 2005
  6. Microbial Physiology and Metabolism, D R Caldwell, Brown Publishers, 1995
  7. Microbiology-a Laboratory Manual, 6th edition, J G Cappuccino and N Sherman, Addison Wesley, Pearson Education, Inc., 2006
  8. The biochemistry of Cell signaling, (Indian edition) Helmreich EJM, Oxford University Press, 2005
Academic Year: 
2014-2015
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