75633 - Plant Marine Biotechnology and Algal Toxins

Academic Year 2017/2018

  • Teaching Mode: Traditional lectures
  • Campus: Ravenna
  • Corso: Second cycle degree programme (LM) in Marine Biology (cod. 8857)

Course contents

Problems due to the presence of harmful algae: algal blooms (differences in causative organisms, effects on ecosystem and on human health, influence of abiotic and biotic factors)); mucilage formation; main biointoxications with hints on species distribution, life cycles, growth and nutrient acquisition strategies, interrelationships with other microorganisms, chemical structure of the main toxin groups and their mechanism of action. Overview of molecular methods for harmful algal identification and of various structural and functional methods for toxin analysis. Aspects of biotechnology of algae (cultivation methods, carotenoid production, wastewater remediation, renewable energy production).

Readings/Bibliography

Lecture notes

Ecology of Harmful Algae, Graneli e Turner, Springer

Handbook of Microalgal culture. Applied phycology and biotechnology. Richmond e Hu. Wiley Blackwell

Teaching methods

Lectures

Assessment methods

Oral examination

Teaching tools

Power point presentations

Office hours

See the website of Rossella Pistocchi