Name of the Programme :M.Sc. Applied Microbiology

Total duration :2 years

Scope: The course envisages a coordinated approach by clubbing all the relevant fields which cater for the beneficial use of microbes. Graduates can take up challenging opportunities in the research and academic fields in Microbiology, Fermentation technology, Molecular biology, Industrial biotechnology and Food processing.

Pattern of course (Semester/annual) :Semester

Mode of teaching (Regular/distant) :Regular

Language of teaching :English

Eligibility for admission: Bachelor’s degree in Microbiology/ Zoology/ Botany/ Biotechnology/ Veterinary Science/ Agriculture.

Mode of selection and admission:Through Entrance examination conducted by the University

Seat reservations: 10

Syllabus (Provide as a separate document)/ Link to Syllabus in case of VCI& AICTE: Atttached

Attendance requirement:80 %

Mode of evaluation: Internal examination

• Fee structure (semester wise) on as on 12-10-2020 (Date)

AMB 801 General Microbiology (3+1)

History of bacteriology, morphology, cytology, growth, reproduction and cultivation of bacteria. Isolation and identification methods, effects of chemical and physical agents, associations of bacteria, bacterial variation, pathogenicity and virulence, Koch postulates, sterilization, antiseptics and disinfectants, general classification of microorganisms. Antimicrobial agents, drug resistance and sensitivity test. Bacterial vaccines.
History and development of virology, structure, cultivation and purification of virus, isolation and identification of unknown viruses, criteria for classification of virus, viroids and prions, viral genetics, variation. Replication of viruses- various stages, cell virus interactions- pathogenesis and viral immunity, viral vaccines.
General characteristics of pathogenic fungi, morphology, reproduction, cultural characters and identification methods.

Practicals:

Microscopy, staining- different staining methods, preparation of media, sterilization, pure culture technique, preparation of glass ware, animal and chick embryo inoculation, cell culture techniques. Cultivation of pathogenic fungi, staining and identification.

AMB 802 Microbial Physiology and Biochemistry (1+0)

Growth physiology and kinetics, carbohydrate metabolism, electron transport systems, biosynthesis and catabolism of amino acids; protein chemistry, purification and sequencing. Metabolism of lipids. Enzymes. Chemistry and biosynthesis of nucleic acids.

AMB 803 Medical Microbiology (3+0)

Classification of medically important bacteria. Infection – source, modes of transmission, portals of entry into the susceptible host, prevention, opportunistic bacterial infections.

Systematic Microbiology: Diseases caused by Gram positive cocci – sore throat, pneumonia etc, diseases caused by Gram negative cocci – meningitis, gonorrhea; diseases caused by Gram positive bacilli – tuberculosis, diphtheria, tetanus, gas gangrene etc.; diseases caused by Gram negative bacteria of familyEnterobacteriaceae – enteric fever, bacillary dysentery, UTI etc.; diseases caused by other Gram negative bacilli – cholera, plague, whooping cough, wound infection, septicemia etc.; sexually transmitted diseases; diseases caused by Mycoplasma, Chlamydia, rickettsia; overview of medical mycology – superficial, subcutaneous, systemic and opportunistic mycoses,

Overview of medical virology: (Influenza virus, Herpesvirus, Poliovirus, Rabies virus, Arboviruses, Hepatitis, HIV etc.), opportunistic viral infections.

AMB 804 Microbiological Techniques (0+3)

Preparation of different media used in Bacteriology and Mycology. Isolation and identifying of bacteria and fungi, antibiotic sensitivity of micro organisms from clinical specimens, plasmid profiling, pathogenicity test in cell culture or laboratory animals, maintenance and preservation of bacteria and fungi, Cryopreservation and reconstitution of preserved cell lines. Concentration and purification of Animal viruses by chemical agents, differential centrifugation, density gradient centrifugation and ultrafilteration, Electron Microscopy, etc. Storage of animal viruses by freeze drying and ultra freezing. Biophysical and biochemical characterization of animal viruses. Molecular characterization of viral proteins and nucleic acids.

AMB 805Immunology and applications (3+1)

Introduction to immune system: Innate and adaptive immune responses; Cells and organs of immune system; hematopoiesis, Major histocompatibility complex, generation of humoral and cellular immune responses and effector mechanisms; antigen processing and presentation; immunological memory; Antigens, haptens, adjuvants, immunoglobulins and monoclonal antibodies; B and T cell interaction. Antigen antibody interactions and its applications. Immunoglobulin and TCR genes and generation of diversity: Organization of Immunoglobulin genes, immunoglobulin gene expression and its regulation; organization of TCR genes and mechanisms of diversity.
complement system; action of cytotoxic T lymphocytes; Natural killer cells, ADCC.
Immunological tolerance. Immunology in health and disease- autoimmunity, Immunodeficiencies, hypersensitivity, concept of immunotherapy, immunoprophylaxis, modern vaccine technology.

Practicals:

Handling of laboratory animals, preparation of bacterial antigens and production of antisera, agglutination tests, immonodiffusion and its modifications, immunoglobulin purification by salt precipitation and chromatographic techniques, antispecies antibody production, ELISA for antigen and antibody detection, SDS- PAGE and western blot. Lymphocyte separation, lymphocyte proliferation assay, delayed type hypersensitivity. Tests for detection of cell mediated immune status of individuals.

AMB 806Microbial Genetics and Molecular Biology (2+0)

DNA structure, history and current aspects, structure of chromosomes, DNA replication in prokaryotes, polymerases, DNA replication in eukaryotes, types and structure of RNAs, prokaryotic transcription, transcription in eukaryotes, post transcriptional modification of mRNA, ribozymes, protein synthesis of prokaryotes and eukaryotes, inhibitors of protein synthesis, signal hypothesis, post translational modification of proteins.
regulation of gene expression, operon concept- lac, trp, his, positive and negative regulation. Mutations- Spontaneous and induced, mutagens, molecular mechanism of mutagenesis, detection and isolation of mutants, DNA repair mechanisms. Plasmids, gene transfer mechanisms, transposable elements, bacteriophages.

AMB 807 Recombinant DNA Technology (1+2)

Applications of molecular biology in microbiology. PCR, cloning of genes, expression, purification of recombinant proteins, vaccinology, diagnostics preparation and diagnosis of disease.

Practicals:

Isolation of genomic DNA, RNA and plasmid purification, Restriction enzyme digestion and gel electrophoresis, PCR, Ligation of Foreign gene into a vector, electroporation and bacterial transformation, production of monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies, purification, blotting techniques, Finger printing and sequencing of DNA.

AMB 808 Environmental Microbiology & Wastewater Management (2+1)

Aeromicrobiology: Microorganisms in outdoor atmospheric environment, nature of bioaerosols, their fate and transport. Microorganisms in indoor environment – buildings, spaceflights, hospitals and laboratories. Microorganisms in soil-environments: Surface, subsurface and deep soil conditions. Microorganisms in various aquatic environments: Freshwater, brackish-water, marine-water and subterranean conditions. Brief introduction to thermophiles, barophiles, acidophiles, alkalophiles and psychrophiles. Role of microorganisms for biomonitoring of various quality-parameters related to water and wastewater – Indicator organisms, single species laboratory bioassays and biosensors. Brief introduction to various stages of wastewater / Factory effluent treatment: Primary, secondary and tertiary treatment. Batch and continuous reactor-systems: Attached growth and suspended culture systems, stabilization ponds. Control of pathogens in water and wastewater. Use of microorganisms for removal of various toxins and metallic ions from wastewater.

Practicals:

Determination of numbers, biomass and activities of microbes. Environmental sample collection and processing. Sewage treatment systems, disinfection of potable water supply. Standards for levels of faecal contamination, effluent treatment.

AMB 809Bioprocess Technology (3+1)

An introduction to fermentation processes- Range of fermentation process, microbial biomass, microbial enzymes, microbial metabolites, and transformation processes. Microbial growth kinetics- Batch culture, continuous culture, industrial applications of continuous culture processes, fed-batch culture. The isolation, preservation and improvement of industrially important and useful microorganisms. Media for industrial fermentation- typical media, media formulation, water, energy and carbon sources, nitrogen sources, minerals, vitamin sources, nutrient recycle, buffers, precursors and metabolic regulators, oxygen requirement. Sterilization of air and media- Media sterilization, batch and continuous media sterilization processes, sterilization of fermenter, feeds and air, theory of fibrous filters, filter design. Design of fermenter- Basic functions of a fermenter, construction, aeration and agitation, baffles, the achievement and maintenance of aseptic conditions, valves, other fermentation vessels. Instrumentation and control- Control systems, manual, automatic, methods of measurements of process variables, flow, temperature, pressure, agitator shaft power, foam sensing and control, measurement and control of dissolved oxygen, on-line analysis of process parameters, computer control of fermenters.

Practicals:

The development of inocula for industrial fermentation- development of inocula for yeast, bacteria and fungi, inoculation of fermenters. Visit to fermentation unit.

AMB 810:AGRICULTURALMICROBIOLOGY (1+0)

Soil microorganisms in agro ecosystems: Types of microbial communities; soil microbial diversity: significance and conservation; effect of agricultural practices on soil organisms.

Biological nitrogen-fixation: The range of nitrogen fixing organisms; mechanism of nitrogen fixation (biochemistry of nitrogenase); genetics of nitrogen-fixation; Rhizobium-Legume

Association; Symplasmids, N2 fixation by non-leguminous plants. Chemical transformation by microbes: Organic matter decomposition, nutrient mineralization and immobilization; transformation of carbon and carbon compounds; availability of phosphorus, sulfur, iron and trace elements to plants; biodegradation of herbicides and pesticides. Biofertilizer: Mass cultivation of microbial inoculants; green manuring; algalization; Azolla. Microbial products and plant health: PGPR (plant growth promoting rhizobacteria); significance of mycorrhizae; toxin producing microbes (antibiotics, aflatoxin, etc.); microbial herbicides; biological control.

AMB-811 Biotechnology in Dairy Industry

Status of Biotechnology Industries in India to meet the demands of Dairy and food Industry. Genetic improvement of lactic starters to enhance their technological functions for industrial applications. Eg: acid, flavour, EPS, Probiotic functions, Metabolic Engineering of lactic acid bacteria, production of recombinant dairy/ food enzymes, proteins. Eg: chymosin, lactoferrin, lysozyme, lipases, proteases, immunoglobulins etc. Detection of GMOs and GM foods and their safety from public health point of view. Diary based functional foods/ health foods and neutraceuticals. Value addition in dairy products through fortification or supplementation with bioactive components and probiotic cultures, nutrigenomics. Application of molecular tools, biosensors etc for detection of food borne and spoilage pathogens. Molecular tools for studying biodiversity, regulatory stancdards for GMOs and GM dairy foods.

Practicals

Growth of starter culture on MRS for “lac”Marker. Induction of “lac” mutation. PCRassays for identification of LAB and food pathogen.