Download CRS 7114 ADVANCED PLANT MICROBIOLOGY

1. CRS 7114 ADVANCED PLANT MICROBIOLOGY
2. Instructor
Dr. G. Tusiime (BSc Agric, MUK; MSc, MUK; PhD, MUK)
3. Course Type
CORE (MSc Crop Science: Crop Protection Option)
4. Course Structure (CU): 3 CU i.e. 30 lecture Hours (2 contact hrs per week for 15 study weeks) and 30 practical
/tutorial hours (equivalent to 1 contact hour per week for 15 study weeks)
5. COURSE DESCRIPTION
Students will be introduced to the world of microbes. The course intends to give learners the theoretical background
to all aspects of microbiology that ultimately will help them in understanding practical applications in ther applied
courses that deal will microbes. The course covers: The relevance and history of Microbiology; Microbial Cell
structure and organization; Viral structure and function; Microbial Nutrition; Control of microbes; Microbial
Metabolism; Regulation of Metabolism; Genomics and Genetics of microbes; Eukaryotic microbial diversity; Bacterial
diversity; Microbial ecology; Applied microbiology; and Microbial Methods Microbiology.
6. COURSE OBJECTIVES
The overall objective of this course is to provide postgraduate students pursuing courses to build a career in plant
pathology and microbiology with a thorough understanding of the biology of microbes that interact with plants either
resulting into diseases or in a useful relationship. It is also meant to introduce learners to techniques used in
microbial studies and to demonstrate the practical applications of microbes in crop production and the food industry.
7. RECOMMENDED REFERENCES FOR READING

Tortora, G.J., Funke, B. R., and Case, C. L. 2003. Microbiology: An Introduction. 8th ED. The
Benjamin/Cummings Publishing Company. 944 pp. ISBN-10: 0805376143.
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Hull, R. 2002. Mathews’ Plant Virology (4th Edition). Academic Press.
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Mathew, R. E. F. Fundamentals of Plant Virology.
Bradbury, J. F. 1986. Guide to Plant Pathogenic Bacteria. CABI, Kew, Surrey, England.
Schaad, N. W., Jones, J. B and Chun, W. 2001 Laboratory Guide for Identification of Plant Pathogenic Bacteria.
3rd Edition. APS Press. St. Paul, Minnesotta, USA. 373pp.
Krieg, N. R. and Holt, J. G. 1984. Bergey’s Manual of Systematic Bacteriology. Vol 1. Williams and Wilkins Co.
Baltimore.
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8. COURSE OUTLINE
Topic
Contents
Week 1: The
relevance and
history of
Microbiology
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Microbial impact on human health
Microbes effects on the environment
Historical discoveries in microbiology
Microbes and life at the molecular level
Method of
instruction/time
allocated
Interactive lecture
(2hrs)
Tutorial (2 hrs)
Materials
Blackboard,
chalk, LCD
projector,
handouts.
Week 2: Cell
structure and
organization
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Microbial cell functional units
Archaea, a different type of microbe
The major differences between Archaea
and other domains of life.
Interactive lecture
(2hrs)
Week 3: Viral
structure and
function
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Viral replication
Viral structures
The viral genome
Viruses are classification
Viral life cycle
Microbial nutritional classifications
Culture Media
Media categories
Interactive lecture
(2hrs)

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Microbial growth defined
Microbial cell division
Microbial of cell growth
Modeling microbial growth
Environment al effects on microbial
growth
Microbial control using temperature
Irradiation and Filtration
Manipulating water activity
Chemical control of microbial growth
Use of antiseptics and disinfectants
Food preservatives
Antibiotics and chemotherapeutic
microbial control
Enzymes as biological catalysts
Bacterial diversity and catabolic
diversity
The Embden-Meyerhof-Parnas and the
Entner-Doudoroff pathways
Anaerobic respiration in microbes
Carbon assimilation and the reductive
TCA cycle
Amino acids biosynthetic pathways
Nucleotide and lipid synthesis
Common steps in regulation
Positive and negative regulation
Attenuation
Post-transcriptional and translational
level regulation
Expression of the lac and tryptophan
operons
DNA Sequence information
Virulence, Gene arrays and Proteomics
Week 4: Microbial
Nutrition
Week 5: Microbial
growth
Week 6: Control of 
microbes
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Week 7: Microbial
Metabolism
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Week 8:
Anabolism
Week 9:
Regulation of
Metabolism
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Week 10:
Genomics and


Tutorial (2 hrs)
Tutorial (2 hrs)
Interactive lecture
(2hrs)
Lab practical (2
hrs)
Interactive lecture
(2hrs)
Quiz (2 hrs)
Interactive lecture
(2hrs)
Lab practical (2
hrs)
Interactive lecture
(2hrs)
Tutorial (2 hrs)
Interactive lecture
(2hrs)
Blackboard,
chalk, LCD
projector,
handouts
Blackboard,
chalk, LCD
projector,
handouts
Blackboard,
chalk, LCD
projector,
Pathology lab
Blackboard,
chalk, LCD
projector,
handouts
Blackboard,
chalk, LCD
projector,
Biotechnology
lab
Blackboard,
chalk, LCD
projector,
handouts
Tutorial (2 hrs)
Blackboard,
chalk, LCD
projector,
handouts
Blackboard,
chalk, LCD
projector,
handouts
Interactive lecture
(2hrs)
Blackboard,
chalk, LCD
Tutorial (2 hrs)
Interactive lecture
(2hrs)
Genetics
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Week 11:
Eukaryotic
microbial diversity
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Week 12:
Bacterial diversity
Week 13:
Microbial ecology
Week 14: Applied
Microbiology
Week 15:
Microbial Methods

Genetics and genetic engineering
Mutation types
Generation of random mutations
Effects of mutations
Gene Transfer Systems and Genetic
Mapping
Photosynthetic eukaryotes
Fungi as critical heterotrophs in the
environment
Fungi classification: morphology,
nutrition and molecular tools
Characteristics of different subdivisions
of bacteria
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Microbial identification techniques
Heterogeinity of soil environment
Microbial degradation of biopolymers
Microbial cycling of elements
Carbon cycle and the role of microbes
Nitrogen cycle and the role of microbes
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Primary and secondary metabolites
Microbes and medicine production
Finding new antibiotics
Disease diagnostics
Food microbiology
Isolation and culturing microbes
Microbial molecular techniques
Tutorial (2 hrs)
Interactive lecture
(2hrs)
Tutorial (2 hrs)
Interactive lecture
(2hrs)
Tutorial (2 hrs)
Interactive lecture
(2hrs)
Tutorial (2 hrs)
Interactive lecture
(2hrs)
Tutorial (2 hrs)
Interactive lecture
(2hrs)
Lab practical (2
hrs)
projector,
handouts
Blackboard,
chalk, LCD
projector,
handouts
Blackboard,
chalk, LCD
projector,
handouts
Blackboard,
chalk, LCD
projector,
handouts
Blackboard,
chalk, LCD
projector,
handouts
Blackboard,
chalk, LCD
projector,
handouts
9. SUMMARY OF TIME NEEDED
Lectures
Tutorials and Assignments
Practicals
10. COURSE ASSESSMENT
Tests and quizzes
Practicals
University Examination
30hrs
15hrs
15hrs
3 tests or quizzes spaced within the 15 week study
periods
Students will write a report for each practical done
Final examination during week 16-17 of the
semester
END
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