expect

	Expectations What the course attempts to offer an introduction to microbial evolution, diversity and ecology a discussion on some molecular techniques and on how they are related to cultivation-based approaches an examination of the strengths and limitations of approaches used to describe diversity theories on how nucleic acid sequence data can be used for the reconstruction of phylogenetic relationships an illustration about why molecular techniques do not replace cultivation but complement it practical experience on how cultivation attempts can be made successful investigations of divers microbial ecosystems emphasizing aquatic and terrestrial environments an evaluation of the microbes' contribution to earth history: geomicrobiology What the course should lead to awareness of the diversity in metabolic activities and of interactions between microbes and their host and evironments discovering new microorganisms and investigating them insights into the history of life on earth and on approaches to discovering life on other planets respect for the microbial biosphere as the earth's life support system opening up contacts between scientific fields which are not usually combined understanding microbial diversity as a provider of an array of new products and processes initiating new ways to discover infectious causes of diseases not previously recognized as microbial in origin What we intend to teach What defines microbial ecosystems How microbes behave in their natural environments The role microbes play in global geochemical cycles How some of the more unusual cultivation techniques can be applied for the cultivation of interesting microorganisms How community analyses and molecular techniques can contribute to understanding evolution How cultivating microbes can lead to insights into their ecology Why microbial diversity is a critical aspect of future environmental and medical research Why microbial diversity is the basis to understand the emergence of infectious diseases and increasing antibiotic resistances How microbiology can contribute to "frontier" research in microbial ecology, evolution and geobiology What we ask participants to contribte to the course to read the appropriate chapters in the course textbook and the original scientific papers to actively participate in the lectures and seminars by bringing up topics for discussion relating to MICROBIAL ECOLOGY, DIVERSITY and EVOLUTION OF MICROORGANISMS and to GEOBIOLOGY to solve assigned exercises to carefully plan, carry out and document experiments to regularly report on the progress in the lab to familiarize themselves with using the internet as a research tool to get aquainted with the research literature to write a summary and discuss about their research results
	microeco