Biomaterials used in medical and industrial applications are exposed to microorganisms present in the environment or can come into contact with communities of microorganisms during the application processes. At the same time, some of these materials may be potentially biodegradable and may be thus prone to microbial deterioration not only causing the loss or undesirable alteration of function, but also constituting a source of contamination of industrial processes or infections in medical use. Expertise in biomaterial research thus should involve the knowledge of methodology used in the detection, identification and cultivation of microorganisms interacting with biomaterials. This represents a prerequisite for controlling the incidence of microorganisms in biomaterials that is, in turn, necessary for reliable and safe applications. Contemporary procedures of detection and identification of microorganisms, as well as the studies of microbial communities, mostly rely on advanced molecular methods needing complex skilful approaches. Similarly, the successful use of disinfectants and modern processes of antimicrobial functionalization and sterilization of biomaterials demand information on the compatibility of the treatment with treated material. These aspects are thus indispensable components of application-oriented material research. The objective of the course is to provide students with information on material microbiology as well as an overview of methods and approaches used in studies of microbial communities that can be potentially associated with biomaterials and can interact with their mechanical structure or biological function. The processes of deterioration and biofilm behaviour will be tract as well as the potential tools that can be used in controlling the development of microorganisms in the environments of interest. The students will be trained in aseptic works with microbial cultures, in isolation of microbes from material and surfaces, in treatment and sequencing DNA, in DNA sequence-based identification of microorganisms and in methods of disinfection and sterilization. A possibility to discuss and resolve some microbiological problems connected with the student´s own research project is provided. By attending this course, students will acquire a set of skills and knowledge about the microbiology of biomaterials and methods that can be used in studies of interactions between microorganisms and various types of biomaterials, necessary for successful work in the development of these rapidly evolving products. The knowledge and skills will be acquired by responding to the questions connected with different aspects of material microbiology. The questions to be answered within the frame of the course are provided below. 1. Detailed Understanding of Principles of Microbiology of Biofilms and Microbial Mats: How biofilms and microbial mats develop. What are their biological traits? Why are they so important in nature, in industry, in medicine and in health care? Biofilms are ubiquitous but difficult to study - which are the methods recently in use? How to produce the biofilm in vitro and how to quantify it? 2. Microorganisms in Culture: Why so many microorganisms cannot be cultivated ("great mystery of environmental microbiology")? The art of isolation. Where the cultivation-based approach and cultivation-independent approaches are relevant? How to evaluate the diversity of microbial communities in a laboratory and in nature? Why does the diversity matter? 3. Bioinformatics - a lighthouse in the ocean of biological information: What are the benefits and pitfalls of data produced by next generation sequencing platforms? Big data as "standard" type of information in biology of microbial communities - how can we use it? How to use molecular identifiers and why? Which are the biases introduced by PCR process?... The course is divided into 2 parts - theoretic. and practical. Invalid link will be changed.
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