This course is intended to provide students with a broad view on manipulation and biotechnological applications of different microbial groups currently used for research or production of metabolites.
Species of the genus Pseudomonas are used for environmental bioremediation, biosensors and biomaterials production.
Streptomyces (producer of antibiotics, extracellular enzymes …) and Corynebacterium (producer of amino acids, nucleotides, savorizing agents …) are also used. This section also includes notions of computer analysis of bacterial genomes using Artemis and the use of software to perform «genome mining».
The fungus Aspergillus nidulans is used as a model organism for transformation of filamentous fungi is used, as these fungi include species producing numerous metabolites such as antibiotics, food additives, metabolic intermediates, etc.
You will also learn to manipulate gene sequences using methodologies related to the field of Synthetic Biology, involving the use of genetic modules to build functional genes with new features. As an example, in the practicals several modules with promoter function are used and their powers are quantified by analyzing the characteristics presented by the expression of genes coding for fluorescent proteins.