NBIA09041U Emerging Molecular Techniques in Microbiology

Volume 2013/2014
Education
MSc Programme in Biology
Content
The course consists of 6 lectures, 6 practical exercises and 12 discussion classes focusing on important topics in current microbial research. Topics covered include: diversity of microorganisms in complex environments e.g the human gut and multispecies biofilm, relationship between function and diversity, soil microbial activity and heavy metal resistance, the prevalence of opportunistic pathogenic bacteria in natural environments. The course will provide the students with both theoretical and hands-on experience with some of our new in-house technologies like Next Generation Sequencing, Flow cytometry, Fluorescence In-Situ Hybridisation (FISH) and Real-time Quantitative PCR. These techniques will be used to describe the impact of a specific contamination on a selected microbial community and/or analyze the genomic content of a given bacteria from a complex environment. As an integrated part of the course, the students will conduct a practical research project and use the data for writing a scientific paper.
Learning Outcome
Knowledge:
  • User-level knowledge on the latest molecular biology techniques, with special focus on the analysis of microorganisms and their activity in complex environments with high bacterial diversity.
  • Explain in detail the operation and utility of different DNA based techniques and detection methods.
  • In-depth understanding of important aspects of the genetic organization, adaptability and diversity of bacteria and archaea.
  • Describe the diversity of microbial communities in natural environments e.g. the human gut and biofilms.
  • Explain the interactions within bacterial communities.
  • Detailed knowledge on the expected impact of a specific contamination on function, activity, structure and diversity of a microbial community.

 

Skills:

The student will be able to:


  • Evaluate methods for identifying and accessing the microbial communities in complex environments.
  • Evaluate and analyze different DNA based techniques and detection methods, such as DNA sequencing, RT-qPCR, flow cytometry, DNA microarray, metagenomics and FISH.
  • Evaluate which of the above mentioned molecular techniques that are most suited to use in different situations.

 

Competencies:

The student will be able to:


  • Use the course curriculum to hypothesize problems in microbial ecology and design experiments to examine the hypothesis using different molecular techniques.
  • Use, compare and criticize the different bacterial fingerprinting techniques described in the course.
  • Discuss, present, put into perspective and criticize original microbial research papers.
  • Analyze, evaluate and present own scientific data.
  • Structure and write an original scientific paper based on data from the molecular techniques used and described in the course.
Literature
See Absalon.
An introductory course in microbiology is recommended.
6 hours lectures, 44 hours discussion classes/practical exercises.
The course is part of the qualification profile Microbiology. For all courses of the qualification profiles, see Course Portal for Department of Biology.
The course is part of the Copenhagen School of Microbiology - COSMIC.
  • Category
  • Hours
  • Colloquia
  • 6
  • Exam
  • 0,5
  • Lectures
  • 6
  • Practical exercises
  • 38
  • Preparation
  • 35,5
  • Project work
  • 120
  • Total
  • 206,0
Credit
7,5 ECTS
Type of assessment
Written assignment
Oral examination, 30 minutes
Each student will have to present and discuss a self-written scientific paper based on the data acquired on the course.
Marking scale
7-point grading scale
Censorship form
External censorship
Re-exam
New presentation of improved scientific paper and new oral exam.
Criteria for exam assesment
To achieve the grade 12 the student must be able to:

  • Describe the latest molecular biology techniques, with special focus on the analysis of microorganisms and their activity in complex environments with high bacterial diversity.
  • Describe important aspects of the genetic organization, adaptability and diversity of bacteria and archaea.
  • Describe the diversity of – and the interactions within bacterial communities in natural environments e.g. the human gut and biofilms.
  • Describe the expected impact of a specific contamination on function, activity, structure and diversity of a microbial community.
  • Evaluate methods for identifying and accessing the microbial communities in complex environments.
  • Analyze, compare and criticize different DNA based techniques and detection methods, such as DNA sequencing, RT-qPCR, flow cytometry, DNA microarray, metagenomics and FISH, and evaluate what techniques to use in specific situations.
  • Hypothesize problems in microbial ecology and design experiments to examine the hypothesis using different molecular techniques.
  • Discuss, put into perspective and criticize original microbial research papers.
  • Perform effective writing and oral presentation of an original scientific paper based on data from the molecular techniques used and described in the course.