Syllabus:

Development of microbiology as a scientific discipline

Methods of studying microorganisms

Organization and structure of microbes - morphology of bacteria, yeast and molds, algae, Protozoa, virus, Prions.

Microbial morphology: Capsule, Slime layer, pili, flagella, cell wall, matrix material, chemotaxis.

Bacterial growth and reproduction - pure culture and cultural characteristics. Control of microorganisms - Physical and Chemical agents, antibiotics and chemotherapeutic agents

. Microbial communities and Ecosystems.

Interactions among microbial population, interaction between microbes and plants, microbial interaction with animals.

Microorganisms in their natural habitats - air, water and soil –biogeochemical cycling.

Classification and modes of propagation of bacterial, plant and animal viruses antiviral agents, interferons.

Microorganisms and diseases.

Frontiers of microbiology - agriculture, plant, environmental, medical.

Overview of cellular structure and function - prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells Chloroplast and photosynthetic mechanisms, light reaction of photosynthesis. Calvin cycle, basic principles of plant cell culture, role of plant hormones in plant cell growth.

Functions of Organelles - Nucleus, Ribosome, Endoplasmic Reticulum, Mitochondrion, Chloroplast, Lysosome, Golgi Complex, Peroxisome (Microbody), Centriole, Cilium/Flagellum,

Cytoskeleton. Membrane structure and functions: Membrane Transport. Ways to move molecules across membranes Carrier proteins, Ion channels. Protein sorting and intracellular compartments -Vesicular transport, transport of proteins into mitochondria

Molecular Biology

Molecular components of a cell - small molecules and macromolecules - proteins and nucleic acids. DNA replication – prokaryotic and eukaryotic – enzymology and mechanisms - replication fork – fidelity – initiation of replication – topoisomerases – chromosomal structure – histones and nucleosomes – chromosome replication – telomere – replication of phage DNA and plasmids – control of DNA replication - copy number. Gene expression – gene structure – prokaryotic and eukaryotic – transcription -RNA polymerase - promoters and terminators – post-transcriptional processing – translation enzymology initiation. Elongation and termination ribosome and ribosomal RNA genetic code – tRNA – wobble hypothesis.

Gene regulation at transcriptional levels – operons – regulatory molecules – domains regulatory circuits – lytic-lysogenic switches in lamda bacteriphage – eukaryotic transcription factors – enhancers – post translational Regulation- attenuation - alternative splicing – stability of mRNA - translational control mechanisms - post transcriptional modification. DNA damage – causes – mutation repair error-prone repair – recombination – repair by recA and SOS system.

Recombination – homologous recombination – RecBCD system and chi sequences, Holiday junctions and Ruv system - site specific recombination. Oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes and their mechanisms of action, Molecular genetics of cancer

. Molecular medicine – genetic basis of human diseases.