Microbes On Natural Ecosystems

Microbial communities are the life support system of our biosphere. Microorganisms date back to the origin of life on Earth and they will likely exist well beyond any future extinction events. They can be found in every environment on Earth that is occupied by macroscopic organisms and are the unique life forms in `extreme' environments (e.g. deep sea vents, earth interior). This is an introductory course that will explore how microbes play key roles in and support the complex ecosystems we find in our biosphere. Through the lectures and lab tutorials, Microbes on natural ecosystems will provide you with background knowledge on fundamentals of microbiology, origin and diversity of microbial world, common methods to study microbes in their environment, how microorganisms control the chemistry of Earth, how microorganisms affect and will be affected by global climate change and how conservation biologists and microbial scientists can work together to preserve our biosphere. By the end of this course, you will appreciate and understand the importance of microbial processes to maintain a healthy global ecosystem. This course will be also open to graduate students who wish to improve and/or overview their knowledge on microbiology and microbial ecology.