Microbiology

The lectures cover the following topics:

• Mechanisms of bacterial and archaeal transcription

• Gene regulation in prokaryotes via general and specilised transcription factors 

• Methods for elucidating systems that regulate gene expression

• Post-transcriptional regulation by small RNAs and specialized RNA-binding proteins

• Organization and mechanisms of CRISPR-Cas systems and other prokaryotic defense systems

• Modern fluorescence-based methods (e.g., single-molecule FRET, super-resolution microscopy) for analyzing biomolecules in vitro and in vivo

• Structural cell biology of prokaryotic cells (bacteria, archaea)

• High-resolution electron microscopy methods for subcellular structural analysis of prokaryotic cells

   

In the seminar, current research topics will be presented and discussed. 

Topics include: 

• microbial diversity, methods in microbial ecology and microbial-driven processes of environmental and/or biotechnological relevance

• current topics in the field of molecular microbiology 

The seminars include presentations and discussions of the selected topics.

at least one lecture in the field of microbiology: 
Gene regulation in Prokaryotes (54455 (externer Link, öffnet neues Fenster); link SPUR)

or 

Electron microscopic methods in micro- and cell biology (54470; link SPUR (externer Link, öffnet neues Fenster))

and 

one lecture in the field of biology 

(for a selection see SPUR)*

6

Students starting before the winter semester 26/27: Registration is not required for the lectures. There is no exam to sit. However, the content of the lectures may form part of the oral exam.

Students starting in the winter semester 26/27 or later: Portfolio (collection of exercises and reflective tasks completed alongside the lectures). Please ask the module coordinator about the requirements. Once it has been finalised, the portfolio must be registered in FlexNow.

The portfolio is not graded.

one seminar in the field of microbiology:
e.g.

Environmental microbiology and biotechnology (54459; link SPUR (externer Link, öffnet neues Fenster))

or 

Molecular Microbiology (54?; link SPUR)

(for a selection see SPUR)*

seminar presentation, regular participation

You must register for the seminars. Information on how to register see in SPUR.

Once you have attended a seminar, it must be registered in FlexNow.

The seminar is not graded.

Examiners: 

• Prof. Dr. Dina Grohmann
• Prof. Dr. Winfried Hausner

The student can choose one of the examiner.

Please get in contact with the examiner of your choice to arrange a date of the oral examination, than register the examination in FlexNow.

The oral examination is graded (= module grade).

• gaining in-depth experimental expertise in the field of organismic microbiology and environmental microbiology

• enrichment and isolation of Bacteria and Archaea from a variety of original samples like sediments, soils, hot springs, black smokers, or animal digestive tracts

• physiological, biochemical and structural characterization of the isolates

• learning of a broad spectrum of cultivation techniques (e.g. anaerobic technique) and of special isolation techniques (e.g. optical tweezers)

• introduction to the ultrastructural characterization of isolates by a broad spectrum of electron microscopy techniques (e.g. negative staining, heavy-metal shadowing, freeze-etching)

• characterization of original samples and isolates e.g. by quantitative real-time PCR and sequencing of the 16S rRNA genes

• presentation and discussion of own experimental data

Laboratory course (6 weeks): Organismic Microbiology (54474; link SPUR) (externer Link, öffnet neues Fenster) time by arrangement 

Prerequesite: Successfull attending the Projektpraktikum Organismische Mikrobiologie I (No. 54660 , summer semester, during BSc Biology in Regensburg)

If the course Projektpraktikum Organismische Mikrobiologie I has not yet been attended, the laboratory internship can only be completed in parallel with the Projektpraktikum Organismische Mikrobiologie I+II (No. 54660 and 54661, summer semester) beginning of the summer semester. An expression of interest is required by mid-December of the previous year.

For more information and for registration contact Dr. Robert Reichelt (robert.reichelt@ur.de).

• Intensive knowledge transfer in the field of molecular microbiology

• Theoretical and practical knowledge about different molecular standard techniques (Isolation of DNA, PCR, cloning, Southern blot Western blot)

• Heterologous expression of proteins

• Chromatographic purification of proteins

• Methods for the analysis of enzymatic activities (e.g. polymerases, nucleases, RNA-Chaperons)

• Methods for analysis of DNA-protein and RNA-protein interactions using the archaeal transcription machinery and prokaryotic CRISPR-Cas systems as example

• Presentation and discussion of own experimental gained data

Laboratory course (6 weeks): Protein Biochemistry and Enzymology (54468; link SPUR (externer Link, öffnet neues Fenster))

Contact the module coordinator to find a supervisor for the laboratory course. 

The date of the laboratory course will then be arranged with the supervisor.