Course Description
This course provides an introduction to the early record of life on the earth, the environmental factors leading to life's diversification, the role of microorganisms in biomineralisation, landform and soil formation, with a focus on the roles that microorganisms play in geochemical cycles. . The field of geomicrobiology concerns the role of microbe and microbial processes in geological and geochemical processes. This course is specifically intended to underscore the importance of microbes in environmental remediation in the mining industries, and provides an extensive exploration of microbiology and metals. They elicit the applications of microbes for metal extraction from primary ores/minerals and mining wastes, bio-mining, and related concepts of microbial diversity and various operations.
This course focuses on the morphology and biostratigraphy of major groups of microfossils; the biological origin and accumulation of petroleum and sedimentary basin; microbial indicators in oil prospecting; tertiary recovery of oil by means of microorganisms; microbial degradation of petroleum products; the use of microorganisms in oil clean-up operations; oil spillage; and the role of microorganisms in corrosion of oil field equipment.
The course also covers many aspects of geomicrobial operations, especially the role of microbes in the formation and degradation of metals and fossil fuels.
Course Objectives & Outcomes
At the end of this course, the student will be able to:
- Providing students with the opportunity for deep study in mineral and petrol microbiology.
- Highlighting the applied role of this science and its benefit.
- Highlighting the roles that microorganisms play in geochemical cycles.
- Introducing students to the most important applications of microbes for metal extraction from wastes.
- Introducing students to the most important applications of microbes of industrial waste in biohydrometallurgy.
- Highlighting the role of microbes in the formation and degradation of minerals, fossil fuels.
References
1- Henry Lutz Ehrlich and Dianne K. Newman. Geomicrobiology, 5th Edition. Crc Press. 2008
2- Abhilash, B. D. Pandey, K. A. Natarajan. Microbiology for Minerals, Metals, Materials and the Environment. CRC Press.2015
Course ID: MICRO 413
Credit hours | Theory | Practical | Laboratory | Lecture | Studio | Contact hours | Pre-requisite | 2 | 2 | 2 | MICRO 307 |
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