This course addresses a contemporary and increasingly important topic: interactions between microorganisms and their environments. Students explore key questions surrounding these relationships, including the definition of microbial species, the ecological niche concept, positive and negative microbe-microbe interactions, and interactions between microorganisms and their environments, with a specific emphasis on animal hosts. Throughout the course, students will become acquainted with diverse ecological principles, providing a framework for analyzing complex ecological systems. They will learn to predict the functions of these systems and suggest interventions to shift microbial communities toward promoting a desired host state. By delving into these critical areas, students will gain a comprehensive understanding of microbial ecology and its profound implications for ecological systems, health, and disease. This course not only fosters academic knowledge but also inspires creative and individual thinking, equipping students with the tools to tackle real-world challenges in microbial ecology.
Course content:
The course is divided into four blocks:
- Microbial Species Concept : Students will delve into the definition and categorization of microbial species, learning about the criteria that differentiate species and the challenges in microbial taxonomy.
- Microbial Communities: This block will focus on the formation, structure, and function of microbial communities, emphasizing the ecological roles of different species within these communities.
- Microbial Interactions: Students will explore the various interactions between microbes, such as symbiosis, competition, and predation, and how these interactions influence microbial ecology and community dynamics.
- Theories of Microbial Succession: The final block will cover the theories and models that explain how microbial communities develop and change over time, including factors that drive succession and community stability.
Following each session, we will have an exercise session where we will analyze contemporary papers related to the topic discussed. We will critically examine these studies, discussing their methodologies, findings, and implications. Students will also present the papers they have analyzed, fostering a deeper understanding and encouraging collaborative learning.
Course aim:
The course is intended to introduce students to the theories of the fascinating world of microbial ecology, inspiring creative and individual thinking to better understand intricate and complex communities and their importance in the context of ecological system functions, both within animals and other environments
Microbial Ecology – From Theory to Contemporary Questions