Microbial Metabolic diversity (photosynthesis, lithotrophy, anaerobic respiration, fermentation) and biogeochemical cycles (of carbon, nitrogen, sulfur and iron).
• Microbial biodiversity - non-cultivable microorganisms - metagenomics: concepts, experimental approaches - metagenomics and functional analysis. Genomic approaches to the study of microbial communities. Taxonomic identification of microbial isolates: metabolic profiles, molecular methods, structural characterization. Conservation of microbial isolates of biotechnological interest: microbial collections, cryopreservation, freeze-drying
• Microbial consortia, models of interaction and communication. Symmetry and quorum sensing. Biofilm - useful models for pathological and industrial aspects. Method of cultivation of biofilm systems. Control and monitoring of microbial biofilms. The intestinal microbiota Probiotics, lactobacilli and Bifidobacteria. Microbial fuel Cell
• Screening of bioactive molecules of microbial origin: bioprospecting strategies, traditional approaches, bioinformatics approaches.
• Microbial development Kinetics of microbial growth. Kinetics of product formation. Kinetics of substrate consumption. The mass balance. Volumetric speed and specific reaction. Microbial growth. Yield of growth. Monod model. Main methods of determining biomass. Operating procedures for conducting a bioprocess. Batch, continuous, fed-batch fermentation. Advantages and limitations.
• Microbial production of recombinant proteins. Synthesis of commercial products by recombinant microorganisms
• Bioremediation of contaminated environments: soil and water pollutants, sources of pollution, fate of soil pollutants aerobic or anaerobic catabolism of organic pollutants. Natural attenuation Bioaugmentation, biostimulation, biopile, toxicity test. Acclimatization. Gene transfer. Outlines of the improvement of the degradative capacity of microorganisms, release and manipulation of genetically modified strains.

Brock. Biologia dei microrganismi. Microbiologia generale, ambientale e industriale. Ediz. Mylab
Barbieri, Bestetti , Galli Microbiologia ambientale ed elementi di ecologia microbica