Microbiology 100 Hours Certificate Course

There are 9 lessons:

1 Scope and Nature of Microbiology

• Why Study Micro organisms?
• Types of Micro organisms
• Where to Begin
• Bacteria
• Actinomycetes
• Fungi
• Viruses
• Other multicellular organisms
• Nematodes
• Mites

2 Microscopes

• Microscopes - Introduction
• Light Microscopes
• Types of Light Microscopes: Stereoscope (or Stereo Microscope), Compound Microscope, Confocal Microscope
• Electron Microscopy
• Helium Ion
• Preparation of Samples For Light Microscopy
• Case Study: Labatory Techniques For Diagnosis of Plant Diseases
• Identifying the Problem
• Selecting a Pathogen for Verification
• Preparation of Pathogens
• Culture Methods and Isolation Techniques
• Inoculation

3 Cultures

• Types of Culture
• Types of Glassware
• Sterilisation
• The Autoclave
• Arnold Steam Sterilization
• Dry Heat Sterilisation
• Disinfection
• Filtration Sterilisation
• Low Temperature Sterilisation
• Radiation
• What is used as Media?
• Commonly used Examples: MacConkey’s Agar (Selective and Differential), Mannitol Salt (MSA) Agar (Selective and Differential)
• Streak Plate Method
• Preparation of Agar Plates
• Streak Plate Method Protocol
• Pour Plate Method
• Staining
• Maintaining Cultures
• Aseptic Technique
• Preserved Cultures
• Factors Affecting Microbial Growth
• pH
• Temperature
• Oxygen
• Moisture
• Hydrostatic Pressure
• Osmotic Pressure
• Radiation, Carbon, Nitrogen, Sulphur, Phosphorus, Trace Elements, Vitamans
• Example Stages in the Development of a Disease in Plants
• Example: Virus Replication Cycle
• The Microbiology Laboratory
• Setting up a Simple Home Laboratory
• Starting Out

4 Microbial Taxonomy

• What is Taxonomy?
• Classification of Microbes
• Morphology
• Terminology to Learn and Remember: Bacteria, Archaea, Viruses, Fungi, Others
• Good and Bad Micro Organisms
• Good Things Microorganisms Do

5 Bacteria

• Introduction
• Types of Bacteria
• Structure of a Prokaryotic Cell
• Bacterial Cell Wall Structure
• Gram Staining
• Gram Stain Reaction Protocol
• Acid-Fast Organisms
• Acid-Fast Protocol
• Bacterial Disease in Plants
• Plant Case Studies (Bacterial Diseases)
• Bacterial Disease in Animals
• Case Study: Tetanus
• Bacterial Diseases in Humans
• What is an Antibiotic?

6 Viruses

• Virus Structure
• Anatomy of the Virion
• The Infected Cell
• Virus Reproduction
• How Zika Virus Infects a Cell
• Virus Taxonomy
• Animal Viruses: International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV)
• Animal Viruses: Baltimore Classification
• Virus Classification: Working Together
• Plant Viruses: Prototype Classification
• Viral Diseases
• Crystallisation of Viruses
• Transmission
• Viral Disease in Humans
• Case Study: Human Swine Flu - Influenza A H1N1 or Hini Influenza 09
• Viral Disease in Plants
• Case Studies: Plant Viruses
• Viral Diseases in Animals
• Case Study: Animal Viruses
• Viral Diseases in Cats

7 Other Microbes

• Fungus Biology
• Case Study: Candida
• Protists
• Plant-like Protists
• Fungus-like Protists
• Animal-like Protists (Protozoa)
• Helminths

8 Immunology

• Types of Immunity
• Antitoxins
• Agglutinins
• Precipitins
• Antigens
• Antibodies
• Titre
• Antiserum
• Immunisation
• General Immune Response
• Recognition of self/non-self
• Specificity
• Heterogeneity
• Memory
• Herd Immunity
• Immunological Disorders
• Autoimmune diseases

9 Applied Microbiology

• Introduction
• Microbiology in Agriculture and Horticulture
• Microbiology in Food Technology and Management
• Environmental Microbiology
• Industrial Microbiology
• Microbiology and Phamaceuticals
• Microbes in Humans
• MRSAs
• Microbiology and Health Management in Animals

What Makes Bacteria Different?
Bacteria can be good or bad; useful to man, or harmful to man. It all depends upon what type of bacteria you are considering. This course helps you to understand those differences, and understand how we can differentiate between different types of bacteria.

Bacteria occur everywhere in our world in huge numbers: from inside our bodies to across the surface of every living and non living thing on our planet.

Bacteria have the same structures as a normal cell, including: a cell wall, nuclear material, cytoplasm and various membranes, such as mitochondria, endoplasmic, reticulata, plasma membrane; they also have a slime layer (capsule), flagella and some but not all can have spore formation.

The ‘slime layer’ can vary in thickness and texture - if it is thick and firm enough, it is called a capsule. When chains or clumps of bacteria form the whole chain or clump can be surrounded by a slime layer. At times this layer can become a solid gelatinous mass (called a zooglea).

Flagella are outgrowths of cytoplasm that extend through the cell wall. They are appendage-like structures used for movement.

Bacteria can either reproduce by splitting, or by spores.

Spore formation is regarded as a resting stage. Under favourable conditions the internal protoplasm can form a ‘knot’ and surround itself with a wall. Bacterial spores are generally more resistant to being degraded than other types of organisms. To completely destroy bacterial spores may require boiling under pressure (as in a pressure cooker).

Bacteria Classification is Based Upon:

• Morphology - the form of the cell.
• Presence or absence of flagella.
• Reaction to certain stains.