Subject : M.Sc. Applied Microbiology
Department of Botany
First Semester
AM 1 : General Microbiology (Credit:3)
AM 2 : Microbial and Enzyme Technology (Credit:3)
AM 3 : Microbial Physiology and Biochemistry (Credit:3)
AM 4 : Microbial Genetics (Credit:3)
Practical's : Based on AM 1 & 2 (Credit:4)
Based on AM 3 & 4 (Credit:4)
Minor Elective : Open to students (Credit:3)
Second Semester
AM 5 : Biochemical and Molecular Techniques (Credit:3)
AM 6 : Immunology (Credit:3)
AM 7 : Microbial Genomics (Credit:3)
AM 8 : Environmental Microbiology & Wastewater Management (Credit:3)
Practical's : Based on AM 5 & 6 (Credit:4)
Based on AM 7 & 8 (Credit:4)
Minor Elective : Open to students (Credit:3)
Third Semester
Dissertation (Credit:15)
Presentation & Viva-Voce (Credit:6)
Fourth Semester
AM 9 : Bioprocess Technology & Engineering (Credit:3)
AM 10 : Medical Microbiology (Credit:3)
AM 11 : Agricultural Microbiology (Credit:3)
AM 12 : Food and Dairy Microbiology (Credit:3)
Practical's : Based on AM 9 & 10 (Credit:4)
Based on AM 11 & 12 (Credit:4)
*Minor Elective : Open to students (Credit:3)
AM 1: General Microbiology
History of Microbiology.
A brief idea of microbial diversity and scope of microbiology.
Principles of classification of microbes; morphological, metabolic and molecular criteria for the classification, a brief introduction to major group of bacteria.
Nutritional types of microorganisms.
Structure of Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria; cell membrane, cell wall, flagella, capsule and slime, chromosome, ribosome, plasmid and endospores.
A brief account of genetic recombination in bacteria (transformation, conjugation and transduction).
A general idea of structure of different kinds of viruses; structure of bacteriophages belonging to ‘T’ series.
Lytic cycle in T even phages and its regulation; lysogeny and its regulation in lambda phage; a brief account of viroids and prions.
AM 2: Microbial and Enzyme Technology
Enzymes from microbial sources, large scale production of enzymes, recovery of enzymes, enzyme purification methods - enzyme precipitation, separation by chromatography, enzyme reactors.
Immobilized enzymes: Physical and chemical methods of immobilization, immobilization supports, kinetics of immobilized enzymes.
Enzyme catalysis in apolar medium, reverse micellar entrapment of enzymes and its applications.
Application of enzymes: synthesis of chemicals using enzymes, food technology and medicine.
Enzymes in diagnostic assays.
Enzyme electrodes, immunoenzyme techniques.
Commercial products of microbes: Antibiotics, biopolymers, biosensors, biopesticides Production of biofuels.
Microbial toxins: Types, biochemical and molecular basis of toxin production, implications.
Genetically engineered microbes, anti-HIV, anticancer, antifungal, antiplasmodial, antiinflammatory compounds.
AM 3: Microbial Physiology and Biochemistry
Overview: Scope and importance Structure and function of biomolecules: Carbohydrates, proteins, lipids Enzymes: Characteristics, Ribozymes, co-enzymes, kinetics-M-M equation, determination of Km and Vmax, mechanism of action - binding of substrate and lowering of activation energy, covalent catalysis, acid- base catalysis, allosteric regulation, enzyme inhibition.
Metabolism: General concepts - application of second law of thermodynamics, redox potential, outline of intermediary metabolism: free energy change of the reactions catabolism – anabolism, ATP as high energy phosphate compound, ATP synthesis Bacterial photosynthesis, Assimilation of sulphur, phosphorus and nitrogen.
Biochemical basis of actions of antimicrobial agents.
AM 4: Microbial Genetics
Nucleic Acids: Structure, physical and chemical properties of DNA and RNA, extrachromosomal DNA- profile, function and evolution. DNA replication, damage and repair, spontaneous and induced mutation, reversion of mutation.
Transposition: Structure of transposons, replicative and non-replicative transposition, transposon mutagenesis.
Genetic recombination; Molecular models and mechanism, Gene conversion.
Gene expression and regulation: Operons and regulons, repression and activation of Lac operon, feed back inhibition and regulation of virulence genes in pathogenic bacteria.
Signal transduction in microbes.
Use of microbes in genetic engineering.
AM 5: Biochemical and Molecular Techniques
Electrophoresis: Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE), agarose gel electrophoresis, native PAGE, SDS-PAGE, 2D electrophoresis, mass spectrometry.
Isolation and purification: (a) genomic and plasmid DNA, (b) RNA, (c) proteins.
Isoelectric focusing (IEF): Principles, kinds of pH gradients used in IEF-free carrier ampholytes, immobilized pH gradients.
Blotting: Principles, types of blotting, immunoblotting- Southern, Northern, Western and Dot blots.
DNA amplification: PCR, RT- PCR.
DNA sequencing: Various methods of DNA sequencing.
Gene silencing: RNA interference (RNAi).
Chromatography: Gel filtration, ion exchange & affinity chromatography, TLC, HPLC, GCbasic concept.
Spectroscopy: Basic concept, NMR & ESR spectroscopy.
Microscopy: Phase contrast, confocal, fluorescence, scanning & transmission electron microscopy.
Bioinformatics: Databases, sequence analysis, phylogenetic inference package, sites and centres.
AM 6: Immunology
Introduction to immune system: Innate and adaptive immune responses; Cells and organs of immune system; hematopoiesis; Antigens, haptens, adjuvants immunoglobulins and monoclonal antibodies; B and T cell interaction.
Antigen antibody interactions and its applications.
Immunoglobulin and TCR genes and generation of diversity: Organization of Immunoglobulin genes; V(D)J rearrangements; somatic hypermutation and affinity maturation; immunoglobulin gene expression and its regulation; organization of TCR genes and mechanisms of diversity.
Major histocompatibility complex: Generation of humoral and cellular immune responses and effector mechanisms; antigen processing and presentation; immunological memory; complement system; action of cytotoxic T lymphocytes; Natural killer cells, ADCC.
Immunological tolerance.
Immunology in health and disease- autoimmunity, immunodeficiencies hypersensitivity; concept of immunotherapy.
AM 7: Microbial Genomics
Tools for studying DNA/genes: Enzymes for DNA manipulation, molecular cloning, DNA libraries, fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH), denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE). Genomes: Size, physical structure, genome analysis, gene duplication.
Mapping of genome: Molecular markers as tools for mapping, restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP), randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD), simple sequence length polymorphism (SSCP), amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP).
Functional genomics: entire genome expression analysis-microarrays, expressed sequence tags (ESTs), serial analysis of gene expression (SAGE), single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP).
Proteomics- basic concept and importance.
AM 8: Environmental Microbiology & Wastewater Management
Aeromicrobiology: Microorganisms in outdoor atmospheric environment, nature of bioaerosols, their fate and transport.
Aeromicrobiology: Microorganisms in indoor environment - buildings, spaceflights, hospitals and laboratories.
Microorganisms in soil-environments: Surface, subsurface and deep soil conditions.
Microorganisms in various aquatic environments: Freshwater, brackish-water, marine-water and subterranean conditions.
Brief introduction to thermophiles, barophiles, acidophiles, alkalophiles and psychrophiles.
Role of microorganisms for biomonitoring of various quality-parameters related to water and wastewater - Indicator organisms, single species laboratory bioassays and biosensors.
Brief introduction to various stages of wastewater treatment: Primary, secondary and tertiary treatment.
Batch and continuous reactor-systems: Attached growth and suspended culture systems, stabilization ponds.
Control of pathogens in water and wastewater.
Use of microorganisms for removal of various toxins and metallic ions from wastewater.
AM 9: Bioprocess Technology and Engineering
An introduction to fermentation processes- Range of fermentation process, microbial biomass, microbial enzyme, microbial metabolites, and transformation processes.
Microbial growth kinetics- Batch culture, continuous culture, industrial applications of continuous culture processes, fed-batch culture.
The isolation, preservation and improvement of industrially important and useful microorganisms.
Media for industrial fermentation- typical media, media formulation, water, energy and carbon sources, nitrogen sources, minerals, vitamin sources, nutrient recycle, buffers, precursors and metabolic regulators, oxygen requirement.
Sterilization of air and media- Media sterilization, batch and continuous media sterilization processes, sterilization of fermenter, sterilization of the feeds, sterilization of air, theory of fibrous filters, filter design.
The development of inocula for industrial fermentation- development of inocula for yeast, bacteria, fungal and actinomycetes processes, the inoculation of fermenters.
Design of fermenter- Basic functions of a fermenter, construction, aeration and agitation, baffles, the achievement and maintenance of aseptic conditions, valves, other fermentation vessels.
Aeration and agitation- The oxygen requirements of industrial fermentation processes, determination of KLa, factors affecting KLa, fluid rheology.
Instrumentation and control- Control systems, manual, automatic, methods of measurements of process variables, flow, temperature, pressure, agitator shaft power, foam sensing and control, measurement and control of dissolved oxygen, on-line analysis of process parameters, computer control of fermenters.
AM 10: Medical Microbiology
General topics on Medical Microbiology: History, Koch’s postulates microbiology and medicine, classification of medically important bacteria; Morphology and growth and nutrition of bacteria, infection - source, modes of transmission, portal of entry into the susceptible host, prevention; bacterial pathogenicity; identification of bacteria – staining methods, culture methods, biochemical tests other recent methods; sterilization and disinfection; normal microbial flora; antimicrobial agents, drug resistance and drug sensitivity test.
Systematic Microbiology: Diseases caused by Gram positive cocci - sore throat, pneumonia etc.; diseases caused by Gram negative cocci - meningitis, gonorrhea; diseases caused by Gram positive bacilli - tuberculosis, diphtheria, tetanus, gas gangrene etc.; diseases caused by Gram negative bacteria of family Enterobacteriaceae - enteric fever, bacillary dysentery, UTI etc.; diseases caused by other Gram negative bacilli - cholera, plague, whooping cough, wound infection, septicemia etc.; sexually transmitted diseases; diseases caused by mycoplasma, Chlamydia, rickettsia; overview of medical mycology – superficial, subcutaneous, systemic and opportunistic mycosis; overview of medical parasitology:
Important protozoal diseases: Malaria, Leishmaniasis, amoebiasis giardiasis etc., and helmenthic diseases: Ascariasis, Ankylostomiasis, filariasis, Taeniasis, Echinococcosis, Schistosomiasis etc. Overview of medical virology: (Herpesvirus, Poliovirus, Rabiesvirus, Arboviruses, Hepatitis, HIV etc.). Bacteriology of water, milk and air; opportunistic infections, Immunoprophylaxis.
AM 11: Agricultural Microbiology
Soil microorganisms in agro ecosystems: Types of microbial communities; soil microbial diversity: significance and conservation; effect of agricultural practices on soil organisms.
Biological nitrogen-fixation: The range of nitrogen fixing organisms; mechanism of nitrogen fixation (biochemistry of nitrogenase); genetics of nitrogen-fixation; Rhizobium-Legume Association; Symplasmids, N2 fixation by non-leguminous plants. Chemical transformation by microbes: Organic matter decomposition, nutrient mineralization and immobilization;
transformation of carbon and carbon compounds; availability of phosphorus, sulfur, iron and trace elements to plants; biodegradation of herbicides and pesticides.
Biofertilizer: Mass cultivation of microbial inoculants; green manuring; algalization; Azolla. Microbial products and plant health: PGPR (plant growth promoting rhizobacteria); significance of mycorrhizae; toxin producing microbes (antibiotics, aflatoxin, etc.); microbial herbicides; biological control.
AM 12: Food and Dairy Microbiology
Microbiology of food items; Fermented food, wine, bakery products, cereals, and milk products.
Microbial spoilage of food products including cereals, fruits, vegetables, meat, fish, and dairy products.
Microbiological examination of milk and milk products, source of their contamination and control.
Starter cultures
Microbiological legal standards of selected food and milk products.
Food poisoning and microbial toxins produced in food items and dairy products Food preservatives and their uses.
Mushroom cultivation technology and single cell protein
MINOR ELECTIVES
MIE1: Microbial Diversity, Management and Exploitation
The microbial world: Major domains and their general characteristics General concepts regarding biodiversity: Definition, diversity indices and diversity gradients.
Exploration and quantification of the microbial diversity: Cultivation and non-cultivation approaches; complementarity between cultivation and non-cultivation approaches; the relevance of classical taxonomy of the postgenomic era; role of genomics in higher order classification, species concept in microbial world.
Microbial diversity and ecosystem function-theories/hypotheses and experimental results.
Management and exploitation of microbial diversity.
Use of microbes in environmental bioremediation
MIE 2: Microbial Biogeochemistry
The role of microbes in biosphere: microbes and the origin and evolution of life on earth.
Microbial crusts: Characteristics and formation; composition; functions; response to disturbance.
Microbial aspects of biogeochemical cycling of C, N, P and S.
Survival strategies of microbes in extreme habitats.
Microbial mediation of dissolution and precipitation of economically important minerals.
MIE 3: Cyanobacterial Biotechnology
Mass cultivation of cyanobacteria under outdoor and indoor conditions.
Cyanobacteria as a source of fine chemicals, polysaccharides, bioactive molecules, pigments,
antioxidants, lipids and polyunsaturated fatty acids.
Cyanobacteria as biofertilizer for paddy cultivation.
Hydrogen production by cyanobacteria: Mechanism, progress and prospects.
Index Post Graduate Course Syllabus: Click Here