Second Latin American Postgraduate Course on the Ecology & Diversity of Microorganisms

Offered by the Departments of Oceanography and Microbiology, University of Concepción, Chile as part of the Program of International Graduate Courses October 01 to 20, 2001 at the University of Concepción, Chile


Course Objectives
It is the aim of the course to train environmental scientists, microbiologists, oceanographers and engineers at the postgraduate level to properly diagnose environmental problems involving microbial components and to enable them to recommend remediation procedures, to carry them out independently or to supervise actual measures (capacity building). The goal is reached by transfering practical experience, conceptual know-how and theoretical knowledge in the fields of microbial ecology, environmental microbiology and geochemistry.


Course Description
The course will provide an introduction into and an overview of the field of microbial ecology and the diversity of microbes. It aims at bringing together various aspects of modern environmental, molecular and evolutionary microbiology and, in a few cases, clinical and health oriented aspects of epidemiology. The course encourages a rapprochement between these various areas and treats them with an ecological outlook.

At the course location we will emphasize the marine environment, but not exclude other interesting microbial ecosystems available at various sites in the Concepción area. Some lectures illustrate the importance of microbes as living environmental agents and as partners in symbiotic and antibiotic interactions, others emphazise the roles microbes play in geochemical cycles. Understanding microbiology will open new insights into the history of life on earth and possibly suggest approaches to discovering life on other planets. A better understanding of microbes promises to provide an array of new products and processes as well as a better awareness of the microbial biosphere, which is the earth's life support system.

Over a period of three weeks we would like to convince the participants that microbes rule the world, make them aware of the impressive diversity in metabolic activities of microbes; and illustrate this by showing how microbes do their jobs optimally.


Course Structure
The course comprises lectures in the morning, laboratory work in the afternoon and colloquia and modelling exercises on the computer in the evening. Preparatory discussions and sessions on particular course subjects are offered during the course and research themes will be discussed during the minisymposia on Saturday mornings. On field trips we will point out characteristic microbial habitats, collect microbes and try to enrich and isolate them in the laboratory. The laboratory work is investigative, i.e. we would like to discover new microbes and understand their activities. It is designed to educate students about current techniques and to encourage independent research. The students will carry out investigations in groups with faculty assistance and independently.


Course Research Projects
The students will be encouraged to participate in a short research project which will allow them to get hands-on experience in microbiological techniques and learn about concepts. The projects are under the guidance of course staff members.


Minisymposia
The weekend minisymposia will introduce the participants to frontier research carried out by established investigators on campus and at institutions outside. The last minisymposium on October 19 is devoted to student presentations. Students of the Microbial Ecology Course 2001 will present their course research results and advisors of the course will briefly introduce the kind of research they are themselves involved in. The course organizers hope that these presentations will inspire interest in research with ecological perspectives, research which might in turn provide new solutions to current microbiological and environmental problems. The contributions will also broaden the often narrow focus of the every-day research work and offer students and established investigators an ecological approach to answering microbiological questions. There will be ample time for discussions after each presentation.


Locations and Time
Classes Start daily at 09.00 in the lecture room of the Microbiology Department
Laboratory work Afternoons in the course lab and in the labs of the course staff at the Microbiology Department
Colloquia Lecture room of the Microbiology Department and computer laboratory of the Oceanography Department
Field trips Special schedule
Minisymposia Saturday, October 6, and possibly October 13, in the lecture room of the Microbiology Department. Final research reports on Friday, October 19.
Guest lecture See special announcement by the director of the postgraduate program

Course Organizers
José R.Stuardo
Department of Oceanography
University of Concepción
Casilla 160-C
Concepción, CHILE
jstuardo@udec.cl
Tel: ++56 41 203 322
Fax: ++56 41 522 369

Maria Angelica Mondaca
Universidad de Concepción. Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas. Depto. de Microbiología. Casilla 160C Concepción. Chile
mmondaca@udec.cl

Carlos Smith Gallardo
Universidad de Concepción. Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas. Depto. de Microbiología. Casilla 160C
Concepción. Chile.
csmith@udec.cl

Kurt Hanselmann
University of Zürich
Institute of Plant Biology / Microbiology
Zollikerstrasse 107
CH-8008 Zürich
Switzerland
hanselma@botinst.unizh.ch
Tel: ++41 1 63 48 284
Fax: ++41 1 63 48 211

Information
For more in formation please contact one of the local course organizers in Chile, connect to the Internet link: CURSO 3 ECOLOGY & DIVERSITY OF MICROORGANISMS or contact the course office
Dr. Carmen E. Morales Van de Wyngard
Depto. Oceanografía Estación de Biología Marina - Dichato
Casilla 44
Dichato - VIII Región - Chile
Tel: ++56-41-683342 / 683033 / 683247
Fax: ++56-41-683902
E-mail camorale@udec.cl