Content (Syllabus outline)
- Overview of the metabolism of microbes. Selected cases of fermentations and anaerobic respiration. Metanogenesis as an example of coupled catabolic and anabolic reactions derived from a common substrate.
- Bacterial microcompartments. Metabolic reactions in metabolosomes, carboxysomes, chlorosomes, anammoxosomes.
- Syntrophy mechanisms. Long-distance electron transport.
- Different pathways of autotrophy (i.e. reductive citric acid cycle, serine and ribulose-5-phosphate pathway in methylotrophs…). Nitrogen fixation. Synthesis of cell wall in bacteria. Key differences with archaea.i.
- Synthesis of cofactors, prosthetic groups and vitamins. Central metabolic pathways, biosynthesis of key metabolic intermediates, biosynthesis of cell polymers from key metabolic intermediates, basic regulation of catabolic and anabolic metabolic pathways.
Prerequisites
Attendance to the laboratory exercises. A passing grade in laboratory exercises is a prerequisite for access to the exam.