2023-2024 / GBLX0060-2

Microbial ecology of water and wastewater

Duration

7h Th, 9h Pr, 2h SEM

Number of credits

 Master in bioengineering : chemistry and bio-industries (120 ECTS)2 crédits 
 Advanced Master in Management of Food Chain Safety2 crédits 

Lecturer

Frank Delvigne

Language(s) of instruction

English language

Organisation and examination

Teaching in the first semester, review in January

Schedule

Schedule online

Units courses prerequisite and corequisite

Prerequisite or corequisite units are presented within each program

Learning unit contents

1. Use of microbial communities for wastewater treatment 1.1 Activated sludge technology (AS) 1.2 Advanced technologies
2. Chemostat revisited 2.1. Selective pressure in the chemostat 2.2. Case study: filamentous and non-filamentous bacteria in AS
3. From synthetic biology to synthetic ecology
3.1. Synthetic biology: dynamic behaviour of synthetic circuits 3.2. Synthetic ecology: conditions for the coexistence of multiple microbial species
4. Practical work
4.1. Numerical simulation: Monod models, Lokta-Voltera models 4.2 Modelling multi-species systems 4.3 Experiments: on-line flow cytometry and/or microfluidic cytometry

Learning outcomes of the learning unit

The goal of the lecture is to provide the students with basic mechanistic knowledge about how microbial interactions is acting in natural ecosystems (i.e. in this specific case, focused on aquatic ecosystems), as well as i, laboratory environment (synthetic communities and synthetic ecology). These knowledges will be complemented with engineering principles aiming at controlling microbial population in the context of environmental biotechnology (but can also be applied to other fields of biotechnology)

Prerequisite knowledge and skills

Basic knowledge (bachelor degree) in physics, chemistry and mathematics. More specific knowledge about microbioloy and systems biology, as well as in the simulation of dynamical systems are recommended

Planned learning activities and teaching methods

Mode of delivery (face to face, distance learning, hybrid learning)

Lectures : 8h Practical Works : 8h

Recommended or required readings

Oral examination (100%)

Work placement(s)

Organisational remarks and main changes to the course

Contacts

Prof. F. Delvigne 
Microbial Processes and Interactions lab (MiPI)
Université de Liège - Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech
F.Delvigne@uliege.be
081 62 23 09

Association of one or more MOOCs