Industrial Microbiology and Immunology

‘Industrial Microbiology and Immunology’ is a 41 module course, which will help the students to procure some knowledge on the basics and advanced ideas of industrial microbiology and immunology.

The industrial microbiology course includes introduction to industrial microbiology and its importance. The course describes the roles of microorganisms in producing different fermented products like dairy products including cheese, yoghurt, fermented beverages including wine and beer, vinegar, different oriental fermented products, synthesis of vitamins and antibiotics by the use of microorganisms elaborately. The equipment especially different fermenters required in the different fermentation pathways and the types of fermentations have been described clearly to the students. The course also describes preparation of specific media required for different fermentation processes. The course includes lectures on a very important group of microorganisms, lactic acid bacteria or commonly called the ‘probiotics’.

The use of these bacteria and their health benefits etc. The industrial microbiology course will be delivered in 21 lectures. This course is designed in such a way that students of under-graduation and post-graduation from any discipline of biology will find the course content interesting and will get the tools of understanding microbiology. After completion of the course, the students can apply this knowledge in their fields of research and higher education.

The second part i.e. Immunology will be delivered in 20 lectures and deals with history of immunology, the components i.e. cells and organs of immune system, their mode of action against a foreign molecule, the generation of immunoglobulins in our blood, removal of the antigen, hypersensitivity i.e. inappropriate immune response of immune system, autoimmunity or reactivity of one’s immune system against its own components etc. the course gives idea of transplantation, its acceptance and rejection and inflammation. The course also describes the process of vaccination and different types of vaccines available in market. The advantages and disadvantages of first generation and second generation vaccines have been discussed in the course. Special emphasis has been given on third generation vaccines or recombinant vaccines i.e. the vaccines which have been developed by using recombinant DNA technology. Students can learn about cytokines, a family of small proteins, which act as signalling molecules and control all the immunological reactions. The course also discusses and provides pictures of different techniques used in laboratories to detect the presence of an antigen or antibody in a given sample e.g. different ELISA techniques, immunodiffusions etc.