3. Applied Microbiology
(Biotechnology)
The exploitation of microorganisms, their
activities, and their products for the
benefit of society.
Beverage production
Dairy products
Bioremediation of disturbed environments
Antibiotics
4. Environmental Microbiology
The study of microorganisms and their
activities in the environment for the
purpose of understanding their role in
maintenance of the biosphere
Cycling of elements and nutrients
Influence on global climate
5. Microbial Ecology
Microbial Ecology is the study of
interactions between populations of
microorganisms and between microbial
populations and organisms in other tropic
levels
6. Key events that led to the development of
Environmental Microbiology as a scientific
discipline
Rachael Carson published “Silent Spring”
bringing to the public’s attention the poor
condition of the environment
Emergence of new waterborne and
foodborne pathogens that posed human
health threats
New technologies have emerged to study
microbes in their natural environment rather
than as pure cultures in the laboratory
8. MICROORGANISMS IN THE
ENVIRONMENT
They are ubiquitous – occur everywhere
In and on the body
10 times more microbial cells than our own cells in
the normal healthy human body
Things we touch, use, eat and drink
Wet surfaces – biofilms
Plant tissue surfaces
Deep subsurface environment
Gold mines, oil reservoirs
9. Microorganisms in the Environment
Viruses – animal & plant pathogens,
bacteriophages
Prior to the advent of antibiotics,
bacteriophage were being studied as
antibacterial agents. Is this concept still
applicable today?
Bacteria – pathogens & commensals;
many are saprophytic, some
chemolithotrophic, some photosynthetic
10. Microorganisms in the Environment
Archaea
Algae – primary producers, some
pathogens
Fungi – from microscopic to macroscopic
Protozoa – parasites & saprophytes
11. Environmental Monitoring
Challenge:
Microbes exist as complex communities-not as
pure cultures in the natural environment
Defining microbial community structure and
function under in-situ conditions is just now
becoming possible
Isolating microorganisms from their natural
state and studying them in an artificial lab
environment is no longer necessary. Why?
Isolation of one population from another
consorting population may be impossible...
12. Monitoring approaches
Molecular methods... Are they the gold
standard?
No one approach is free of bias
Best strategy is to use several independent
approaches and compare results
13. Modern Environmental Microbiology
Discovery and identification of new microbes,
microbial activities, and microbial products
that protect environment
Use microbial products as pesticides to replace
chemical pesticides with long resident time in
environment. Example of such a product?
Microbially enhanced oil recovery. Example of a
product?
Microbially enhanced mineral recovery. Example?
Bioremediation
14. Modern Environmental Microbiology
New steps in the cycling of elements
Anaerobic oxidation of ammonia
Anaerobic oxidation of methane
Archaea are much more abundant in the
worlds oceans than initially thought
What roles do they play there?
15. Goals of the course
Gain an appreciation for the good
things microbes do in the biosphere
Appreciate the need to maintain
microbial diversity in the biosphere
Learn connection between human
health and the health of the
environment-both near and far.
