The main educational goals of the course are comprehension and knowledge of the main microbial metabolic processes involved in food transformation and shelf-life. Also another training objective concerns the acquisition of theoretical knowledge and practical methodologies for the isolation and identification of microorganisms from food matrices.
The expected learning outcomes are theoretical and practical skills about the use of microorganisms as starter cultures for production of traditional and industrial fermented foods.
The expected learning outcomes are theoretical and practical skills about the use of microorganisms as starter cultures for production of traditional and industrial fermented foods.
teacher profile teaching materials
2) Taxonomy, physiology, ecology and biochemistry of microbes involved in the production of the following fermented foods: vinegar, leavened foods, fermented milk, cheese, salami, beer, table olives.
3) Food-spoiling microorganisms and bacteriophages
4) Role of microrganisms in food conservation
Selected topics will be available on suggested Food Microbiology and Food Microbial Biotechnology books, as indicated in the following reference list. Specific research papers and experimental protocols will be provided during theoretic lessons on advanced research topics and laboratory practices.
Innovative teaching will be promoted by cloud-sharing of power-point presentations illustrating the main topics of the course. Moreover, students will be encouraged to make use of web-based resources and databases to autonomously increase their knowledge on specific advanced topics.
Students can be received avery day, at the best of their convenience if an appointment has been fixed at the end of the lessons or by email.
Programme
1) General metabolism and physiology of microbes involved in food transformation, with special focus on Saccaromyces cerevisiae, lactic bacteria, acetic bacteria.2) Taxonomy, physiology, ecology and biochemistry of microbes involved in the production of the following fermented foods: vinegar, leavened foods, fermented milk, cheese, salami, beer, table olives.
3) Food-spoiling microorganisms and bacteriophages
4) Role of microrganisms in food conservation
Core Documentation
Selected topics will be available on suggested Food Microbiology and Food Microbial Biotechnology books, as indicated in the following reference list. Specific research papers and experimental protocols will be provided during theoretic lessons on advanced research topics and laboratory practices.
Innovative teaching will be promoted by cloud-sharing of power-point presentations illustrating the main topics of the course. Moreover, students will be encouraged to make use of web-based resources and databases to autonomously increase their knowledge on specific advanced topics.
Students can be received avery day, at the best of their convenience if an appointment has been fixed at the end of the lessons or by email.
Reference Bibliography
- Microbiologia dei prodotti alimentari. Giovanni Antonio Farris, Marco Gobetti, Erasmo Neviani, Massimo Vincenzini. Casa editrice Ambrosiana. - Biotecnologia dei prodotti lievitati da forno. Marco Gobetti, Aldo Corsetti. Casa editrice Ambrosiana. - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/Type of delivery of the course
The course is based on theoretical lessons in classroom and on laboratory practice.Attendance
Admission to the lab practices and outdoor tours to beer farm is restricted to students that will attend at least at 70% of the lessons in classroomType of evaluation
Theoretical and practical concepts discussed during the lessons of the course will be objects of the exam. Particular attention will be given to the ability of the student to apply the knowledge acquired during the course to solve new problems in the field. Final mark will be attribute as follow: - 20% communication skills; - 30% acquisition of knowledge and understanding; - 20% capacity to link the different topics covered by the program, also with respect to other knowledges previously acquired in other courses; - 30% capacity to apply the knowledge for problem-solving. Outstanding students will be certified with honors (lode). teacher profile teaching materials
- theoretical knowledge on basic methodologies for the selection and identification of microorganisms of relevance in the agrifood sector;
- applied knowledge for drafting and executing experimental protocols.
This part of the course will be focused on the following issues:
- preparation and sterilisation of selective growth media;
- isolation and CFU count of microorganisms in sourdough;
- microscopy-based identification of yeasts and bacteria.
Innovative teaching will be promoted by cloud-sharing of experimental protocols concerning the laboratory practices. Moreover, students will be encouraged to make use of web-based resources and databases to autonomously increase their knowledge on the topics of the laboratory practices.
Students will be received at the best of their convenience if an appointment has been fixed at the end of the lessons or by email.
Programme
The laboratory practices (1 CFU) that I will supervise will aim at providing to the student:- theoretical knowledge on basic methodologies for the selection and identification of microorganisms of relevance in the agrifood sector;
- applied knowledge for drafting and executing experimental protocols.
This part of the course will be focused on the following issues:
- preparation and sterilisation of selective growth media;
- isolation and CFU count of microorganisms in sourdough;
- microscopy-based identification of yeasts and bacteria.
Core Documentation
Selected topics will be available on suggested Microbiology and Microbial Biotechnology books, as indicated in the following reference list.Innovative teaching will be promoted by cloud-sharing of experimental protocols concerning the laboratory practices. Moreover, students will be encouraged to make use of web-based resources and databases to autonomously increase their knowledge on the topics of the laboratory practices.
Students will be received at the best of their convenience if an appointment has been fixed at the end of the lessons or by email.
Reference Bibliography
- Food Microbiology: Fundamentals and Frontiers. Michael P. Doyle, Robert L. Buchanan. ASM Press. - Microbiologia dei prodotti alimentari. Microrganismi, controllo delle fermentazioni, indicatori di qualità, igiene degli alimenti fermentati e non. Giovanni Antonio Farris, Marco Gobetti, Erasmo Neviani, Massimo Vincenzini. Casa editrice Ambrosiana. - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/Type of delivery of the course
This part of the course (1 CFU) is based on 4 laboratory practices (3 hours each).Attendance
Admission to the final exams is not restricted to students that will attend the laboratory practices. However, student are encourage to attend also these lessons.Type of evaluation
Theoretical concepts underlying the laboratory practices will be objects of the exam for the students of the course. Practical concepts will be also discussed with students attending the laboratory practices. Particular attention will be given to the ability of the student to apply the knowledge acquired during the course to solve new problems. Final mark will be agreed upon with Prof. Livia Leoni (head of the course) and will attributed as follow: - 20% communication skills; - 40% acquisition of knowledge and understanding; - 40% capacity to apply the knowledge for problem-solving. In agreement with Prof. Livia Leoni, outstanding students will be certified with honors (lode).