Course

Theory

Introduction – Microbial world: Prokaryotic and eukaryotic microbes. Bacteria: cell structure, chemoautotrophy, photo autotrophy, growth. Bacterial genetics: Genetic recombination transformation, conjugation and transduction, plasmids, transposon.

Role of microbes in soil fertility and crop production: Carbon, Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Sulphur cycles. Biological nitrogen fixation- symbiotic, associative and asymbiotic. Azolla, blue green algae and mycorrhiza. Rhizosphere and phyllosphere. Microbes in human welfare: silage production, biofertilizers, biopesticides, biofuel production and biodegradation of agro-waste.

Practical

Introduction to microbiology laboratory and its equipments; Microscope- parts, principles of microscopy, resolving power and numerical aperture. Methods of sterilization. Nutritional media and their preparations. Enumeration of microbial population in soil- bacteria, fungi, actinomycetes. Methods of isolation and purification of microbial cultures. Isolation of Rhizobium from legume root nodule. Isolation of Azotobacterfrom soil, Isolation of Azospirillumfrom roots, Isolation of BGA. Staining and microscopic examination of microbes