OCEA0157-1 : Biodegradation of organic molecules in a sea environment

Study Programmes 2016-2017

OCEA0157-1

Biodegradation of organic molecules in a sea environment

Duration :

20h Th

Number of credits :

Master in oceanography (120 ECTS)		3

Lecturer :

Mathieu Poulicek

Language(s) of instruction :

English language

Organisation and examination :

Teaching in the first semester, review in January

Units courses prerequisite and corequisite :

Prerequisite or corequisite units are presented within each program

Learning unit contents :

The first part of the course is devoted to description of "natural" organic molecules biodegradation in the marine realm (external and internal processes for control and optimisation of the activity within the "microbial loop")(8 hours).
The second part consists in description of some mathematical models of microbial activity in natural conditions (2 hours).
The third part is devoted to exploring the ways of artificially introduced molecules biodegradation (domestic wastes, detergents, aromatic cycles and halogenated molecules, hydrocarbons and plastics)(8 hours).
The last part of the course is devoted to "biodeterioration" processes (when biodegradation goes too far) (2 hours).

Learning outcomes of the learning unit :

To get in touch with the complexity of interactions within the microbial world and focus on positive aspects of bacterial activity.

Prerequisite knowledge and skills :

Elementary knowledge (general microbiology course) of the bacterial world.

Planned learning activities and teaching methods :

Mode of delivery (face-to-face ; distance-learning) :

Five times 4 hours to place according to scheduled courses