Unit 3006: Microbial Physiology

1. Introduction to Microbial Physiology

• Overview of microbial physiology
• Characteristics of microorganisms
  • Types: Bacteria, Archaea, Fungi, Protists, Viruses
• Microbial cell structure and function
  • Cell wall, membrane, cytoplasm, organelles
• Metabolism fundamentals
  • Anabolism and catabolism
• Microbial growth and environmental interactions
  • Nutrient uptake, environmental influences

2. Microbial Metabolism

• Overview of metabolic pathways
• Glycolysis (Embden-Meyerhof pathway)
  • Steps, key enzymes, ATP yield
• Krebs cycle (Citric Acid Cycle)
  • Function and intermediates
• Fermentation pathways
  • Types (lactic acid, alcoholic, mixed acid)
  • Role in anaerobic conditions
• Anaerobic respiration
  • Alternative electron acceptors
  • Differences from aerobic respiration

3. Bacterial Growth and Reproduction

• Cell division mechanisms
  • Binary fission process
• Growth phases
  • Lag, exponential, stationary, death
• Factors affecting growth
  • Temperature, pH, nutrient availability, oxygen levels
• Measurement of bacterial growth
  • Optical density, viable counts

4. Regulation of Gene Expression in Microorganisms

• Importance of gene regulation
• Transcriptional regulators
  • Activators and repressors
• Operon model
  • Lac operon, trp operon examples
• Global regulatory networks
  • Sigma factors, two-component systems
• Post-transcriptional regulation overview

5. Microbial Adaptation and Stress Responses

• Types of environmental stresses
  • Nutrient limitation, temperature shifts, osmotic stress, antibiotics
• Mechanisms of adaptation
  • Stringent response
  • Heat shock proteins
  • Osmoprotectants
• Stress response pathways
  • General stress response
  • DNA repair systems

6. Microbial Interactions and Communication

• Microbial communities and ecology
• Quorum sensing
  • Signal molecules and regulatory effects
• Biofilm formation
  • Stages, significance, and resistance
• Symbiotic relationships
  • Mutualism, commensalism, parasitism

7. Microbial Pathogenesis

• Definition and overview
• Mechanisms of pathogenicity
  • Adhesion to host cells
  • Invasion strategies
  • Toxin production
  • Immune evasion mechanisms
• Host-pathogen interactions

8. Antimicrobial Resistance

• Overview of antimicrobial resistance
• Mechanisms of resistance
  • Acquisition of resistance genes (horizontal gene transfer)
  • Efflux pumps
  • Target site modification
  • Biofilm-mediated resistance
• Clinical and environmental implications

9. Applications of Microbial Physiology

• Biotechnology applications
  • Antibiotic production
  • Industrial fermentation
• Environmental applications
  • Bioremediation
• Medical applications
  • Vaccine development
  • Probiotics
• Emerging technologies
  • Synthetic biology