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1. Environmental Biotechnology
Prof Pinaki Sar
DEPARTMENT OF BIOTECHNOLOGY, IIT KHARAGPUR
Module 01:
Lecture 01 : Introduction of Environmental Biotechnology, Scope and applications of
the subjectNPTEL

2. Introduction to Environmental Biotechnology
Definitions NPTEL

3. Environmental Biotechnology is the application of
Biotechnology to all aspects of the Environment NPTEL

4. Environmental Biotechnology : A discipline with an ever
increasing horizon
Environmental& Biotechnology
Studies done on environment or environmental
sam
ples
Focused on application in the environment
Exploit environmental information for other greater
g
oals
Bio + Technology
‘Bio’im that the emphasisofthis
scientific discipline isonbiologyand
biologicalprocesses,rather thanonthe
chemicalandphysicalprocesses
Bio’,asap
setsdisciplinaryboundaries
Worksdi
livingorganismsinthe
environment ortheir componentsatcellular
/subcellularlevels
suggests contextual linkages that
might entail..
Sense of the prefix ‘bio’
is shifted to an applied
or technical aspect to
the work
Environment:thatencompasses all living andnon-livingthings
occurringnaturallyonEarthorsomeregionthereofNPTEL

5. Biotechnology-Definition
Biotechnology:Theintegrateduseof biochemistry, microbiologyand
engineering sciences in ordertoachieveapplicationsofthecapabilities of
microorganisms,culturedanimalcellsorplantcellsorpartthereofinindustry,
agriculture,healthcareandinenvironmentalprocesses(EFB,1988)NPTEL

6. Role of biotechnology in development and sustainability
Social
Economical
Biotechnology
Environmental
The responsible use of biotechnology to get economic, social and environmental
benefits is inherently attractive and determines a spectacular evolution of researchNPTEL

7. Evolution of biotechnology research
Traditional Fermentative
Technologies
Modern Technologies
Gene technology
Recombinant DNA
t
echnologies
Biochemistry
Immunology
Molecular and cellular
b
iology
To provide :
efficient synthesis of low
t
oxicity products
renewable bioenergy
new methods for
e
nvironmental monitoring
Cheese
Bread
Beer
Animal & plant
br
eedingNPTEL

8. Biotechnology in the 21st century
The dramatic growth is driven by :
High price of petroleum
Policies to promote alternatives and reduce dependence
o
n foreign oil
Increasing efforts to reduce net emissions of carbon
d
ioxide and other greenhouse gases
The start of the 21st century has found biotechnology emerging as a key enabling
technology for sustainable environmental protection and stewardship
Biotechnology
Alternative chemicals
Feedstocks for fuels
Variety of commercial products
To satisfy the
requirement of NPTEL

9. The social, environmental and economic benefits of environmental
biotechnology go hand- in-hand to contribute to the development of a
more sustainable society
Earth Summit (Rio de Janeiro,1992), World Summit on Sustainable
Development (Johannesburg, 2002)NPTEL

10. Implication of the applied or technical aspect to the work : Bio to
Technology
Living
organisms or its
components
CC BY-SA 3.0
LeJeanHardin and Jamie Payne
https://microbenotes.com/bioremediation/
https://www.oxybeesolutions.com/Aerobic-Biological- Proces.htmlNPTEL

11. These are achieved through …
1.Applicationofnewlydevelopedtechnologicaltools(suchas PCR)or
information(suchasgenomesequences)totheanalysisofbiological
processesintheenvironment.
2.Exploitingbiologicalinformationgainedfromtheenvironmentbyusingitto
understandenvironmentalprocesses,suchascarboncycling andmetal
transformation.
3. Development of tangible biological materials as well as knowledge
of biological processes in the environment could be transferred to
other scientific fields.
Excellent examples of this include :
Biodiversity exploitation,
Industrial applications of biological processes
Pollution control and abatement NPTEL

12. Key features of biotech for the environment
•Majorityo the biotechnologyprocesses (relevanttoenvironmental
applications)aremicroorganismbased
•Microbial b
inexpensive(Ikgwasteincinerationcost
Rs/-~30,whilebiologicalmineralizationcosts10timesless)
•Microbiologicalp
rocessesareflexible; theyadapttovariableconditions,
newmolecules
•Microbials
to“learntometabolizeorco-metabolizevarious
xenobiotics”
•Environmental biotech is perceived as ‘green’
Grommen and Verstraete, Journal of Biotechnology 98 (2002) 113/123NPTEL

13. Application of Biotechnology and interrelation with respect to
Environmental Biotechnology
Geo science,
Material science
Energy
Space scienceNPTEL

14. Definitionofenvironmentalbiotechnology
Current Opinion in Biotechnology 2011, 22:386– 387
Thedevelopment,useandregulationofbiologicalsystemsforremediationof
contaminatedenvironments,andforenvironment-friendlyprocesses,
includinggreenmanufacturingtechnologiesandsustainabledevelopment
The International Society for Environmental Biotechnology (ISEB) NPTEL

15. References:
Increasing focus on environmental biotechnologyinthe face of pressing environmental challenges,P
Hugenholtz andE ZRon,CurrentOpinion in Biotechnology2007, 18:235–236
Whatisenvironmentalbiotechnology?G JZylstraandJ JKukor,CurrentOpinionin Biotechnology2005,
16:243–245
The knowledgeexplosion inenvironmentalmicrobiologyoffersnewopportunitiesinbiotechnology,D AStahl
andMWagner,CurrentOpinion in Biotechnology2006, 17:227–228
EnvironmentalBiotechnology:Achievements, Opportunities and Challenges,MGavrilescu,Environmental
Biotechnology:Achievements,Opportunitiesand Challenges,2009NPTEL

16. Environmental Biotechnology is the application of
Biotechnology to all aspects of the Environment
Dentitions of Biotechnology and Environmental
Biotechnology
Biotechnology in the 21
st
century, its role &
sustainabilityNPTEL

17. NPTEL

18. Environmental Biotechnology
Prof Pinaki Sar
DEPARTMENT OF BIOTECHNOLOGY, IIT KHARAGPUR
Module 01:
Lecture 02 : Introduction of Environmental Biotechnology, Scope and applications of
the subjectNPTEL

19. Microorganisms & Environmental Biotechnology
Global crisis challenge environmental science and biotechnologyNPTEL

20. Environmental Biotechnology : Utilizes microorganisms to
improve environmental quality and achieve sustainability
The improvements include:
Prevention of environmental pollution
Cleaning up of contaminated environment
Generate valuable resources for human society NPTEL

21. “It is not an overstatement that humanity faces some serious environmental
challenges in the coming decades, such as curbing greenhouse gas emissions ,
finding renewable energy sources, managing waste and controlling pollution
and disease”
Increasing focus on environmental biotechnology in the
face of pressing environmental challenges
Editorial overview, Philip Hugenholtzand ElioraZ Ron
Current Opinion in Biotechnology 2007, 18:235–236 NPTEL

22. NPTEL

23. Global crisis challenge environmental science and biotechnology
Wilderer, 2009, Rev Environ Sci Biotechnol 8: 291-294
ConsideringtheEarthsystem’scapacitytosupplyhumanitywithindispensable
resources,andtoregenerateandabsorbthewasteswearegenerating
Whatisthebearingcapacityofourplanet?
Human population: 19603 billion
20006 billion
20409 billion
Isit200millionpeopleor650million?
Or
equivalentof1.3planetsconsideringtheresourcesweneedorbelieve
toneed,andconsideringthewasteweemit
But, as everybody knows, we have only one planet at our disposalNPTEL

24. Crisis ….continued
Morepeoplerequireadditional
energy
food
water
Land:Settle
Agriculture
Industrial installations
Airports
Road
More people generate more solid, liquid and gaseous wastes
aggravatessupplyofpeoplewiththerequiredbaseoflife,qualitatively
andquantitativelyNPTEL

25. Crisis…deepen..
Additional factors :
Increase population density --Destabilization of societies
-loss of territorial freedom
Maternalprotectiveness
territorialdefense
Egoism
greedandherdinstinct—
transcribedtofamilynetworks,
tribes,economicinstitutionsandpolitical
systems
Theprimaryproblemwearefacingistherapidincreaseofthe
populationdensity:andwehavetodealwiththiscrisis
-people get aggressiveNPTEL

26. Summary
population density crisis
Climate
Food,
water
Economy
Poverty ,
social
inequality
Whatarewesupposedtodo?
makeanyattempttominimizethe impactsoriginatingfromdenselypopulated
areas,andtheireffectsonthelifeenablingfunctionoftheecosystemsNPTEL

27. Primary crisis : Population density
Secondary crisis (complex) :
•climate
•water
•food
•poverty
•social inequality
•economy
Allthesesub-crisesareinterrelated,anyattempttosolvea
singlesub-crisiscannotleadtoasustainablesolution
It only might provide us with some time to relax NPTEL

28. What ought we to do ?
Takeamulti-dimensionalinter-andtrans-disciplinary approach takingintoaccount
localandregionalpeculiaritieswithrespecttoculturalheritage,religiousconcerns,
andtribaltraditions.
Startingfromtop tobottom,wearesupposedtomakeanyattemptto
minimizetheimpacts originatingfromdenselypopulatedareas, and
theireffectsonthelifeenablingfunctionoftheecosystems.NPTEL

29. Earth support engineering (ESE)
Deliberate,pla nnedandwellcontrolledinterventionintotheEarthsystem
Top
thelifesupportingfunctionoftheEarthsystem
includinga
suchasthelithosphere,thehydrosphere,the
atmosphere,thebiosphereandtheanthroposphere
What does all this mean for environmental science and biotechnology?NPTEL

30. Itisourdutyasscientistsandengineerstoactasgovernorsofpublichealth
andwell-being.
Wearesupposedtodevelopmethodswhichwillfitin
the‘‘lifeboat’’scenarioofthefuture
ensurethatwaterin sufficient quantityandquality is availableforpeople,
industryandagricultureinovercrowdedsettings
Andsoon……NPTEL

31. Environmental biotechnology : a contrast in the show business
Fundamentallyrootedinwaste,initsvariousguises
Concernedmainlywith:
 remediationo
fcontaminationcausedbyprevioususe
 impactr
currentactivity
 controlo

Principala :
manufacturepr
oductsin environmentally harmonious
ways
minimizationo
fharmfulsolids,liquidsorgaseousoutputs
clean-u
oftheresidualeffectsof earlierhuman
occupationNPTEL

32. The means by which this may be achieved :
•Enhanceo optimize conditions for existing biological systems to make
their activities happen faster or more efficiently
•Resort to some form of alteration t
o bring about the desired outcomeNPTEL

33. Environmental Biotechnology is evolved to provide solutions
towards the super challenges of the 21
st
Century :
Improved treatments for solid waste and wastewater; -
bio
remediation: cleaning up contamination and phytoremediation
Ensuring the health of the environment through biomonitoring
Cleaner production: manufacturing with less pollution or less raw
m
aterials
Energy from biomass
Genetic engineering for environmental protection and control
Climatec
Energys

Healtha
disease
Sustainableen
vironmentNPTEL

34. Environmentalbiotechnology- nowemergingasa
compositebutincreasinglyintegrateddiscipline
Relies on a detailed understanding of microbial biodiversity in both its
n
atural and its anthropogenic context
A better understanding of microbial biodiversity help us eng
ineer
large-scale systems for environmental quality NPTEL

35. Introduce innovation and prosperity in human society in all the areas
affected by microbial life: from the global elemental cycles influencing
our climate to the quality and abundance of our food to the health of
our gut. NPTEL

36. Why systems from Microbial origin ?NPTEL

37. Earth is a microbial planet
Microbes run the world. It’s that simple
Everyprocessinthe biosphereistouchedbytheseemingly
endlesscapacityofmicrobestotransformtheworldaroundthemNPTEL

38. PNAS_1998
Microorganismshaveinhabitedourplanetforbillionsofyears,colonizingnearlyevery
corneroftheEarth.
Microorganisms remain the dominant drivers of the biogeochemical
cycles despite strong anthropogenic influences
Biogeochemical
cycles
Nutrient
availability
Environmental
clean up
Human and
animal health
Plant
productivity
In the past 50 years, we have continually expanded the use of the microbial
potential, especially in the recycling or clean-up of biological and waste
materialsNPTEL

39. The Journey of Environmental Biotechnology : Waste treatment
to bio-based economy
Waste water
Treatment
Microbial interaction with pollutants
Ecophysiology, biochemistry and genetics of pollutant degradation
Bioremediation of groundwater
Landfill waste management
Identification of new microbial strains, metabolic pathways
Microbial ecology
Development of new methods of pollutant detection
Valorization of waste
Bioenergy
Metagenomics and genomics
New cultivation techniques
Synthetic biology
Enhanced oil recoveryNPTEL

40. Increasing focus on environmental biotechnologyinthe face of pressing environmental challenges,P
Hugenholtz andE ZRon,CurrentOpinion in Biotechnology2007, 18:235–236
Globalcrises challengeenvironmentalscienceand biotechnology,P. A.Wilderer,RevEnvironSci Biotechnol
(2009) 8:291–294
Whatisenvironmentalbiotechnology?G JZylstraandJ JKukor,CurrentOpinionin Biotechnology2005,
16:243–245
The knowledgeexplosion inenvironmentalmicrobiologyoffersnewopportunitiesinbiotechnology,D AStahl
andMWagner,CurrentOpinion in Biotechnology2006, 17:227–228NPTEL

41. Environmental Biotechnology utilizes microorganisms to
improve environmental quality and achieve sustainability
Environmental Biotechnology aims to provide solutions
towards the challenges of 21
st
century and helps in global
crisis management
Microorganisms and global biogeochemistry, plant & animal
healthNPTEL

42. NPTEL

43. Environmental Biotechnology
Prof Pinaki Sar
DEPARTMENT OF BIOTECHNOLOGY, IIT KHARAGPUR
Module 02:
Lecture 03 : Ecosystem : Basic concepts of structure and functionNPTEL

44. Introduction to ecosystem
Definitions
Components and interrelationsNPTEL

45. Understanding the basic concept of ecosystem and
function of its components is important for any
work related to environment
Element
cycles
Components of ecosystem & their interactions
Carbon and energy flows
Nutrient cycling
Trophic structure and food chain & food webNPTEL

46. By Hallrob3 - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=53806648
Translating the microbial ecology knowledge to environmental biotechnologyNPTEL

47. Ecology :
Ernest Haeckel, 1869 :
Oikos :Household
Logy : Study of
Ecologyisthestudyof“lifeathome”–thetotalityorpatternof
relationsbetweenorganismsandtheirenvironment”NPTEL

48. Environment :
Physical (Abiotic)
Biological (Biotic)
Relation :
Intra & Inter species
With physical environment
Concept of System
Regularlyinteractingandinterdependentcomponentsforming
aunifiedwholeNPTEL

49. Abiotic Components:
pH, Temperature, Dissolve Oxygen, Other gases, Minerals, Ions, Carbon, Nitrogen,
Phosphorous, ……
Biotic Components:Micro-and Macro-organisms, including prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms
An Indian mine site releasing toxic acid mine drainageNPTEL

50. NPTEL

51. Fe
2+
S
2-
DO
SO
4
Low
pH
Org
C
Species A
Species
B
Species
C
Species
D
Details of the system are emergedNPTEL

52. Level of organization hierarchy
Matter -> Energy
Biotic
components
Abiotic
components
Biosystems
+
=
Genes CellsOrgansOrganisms Populations Communities
Genetic CellOrganOrganismic Population Ecosystems
System System System System System
↕ ↕ ↕ ↕ ↕ ↕
=
=
=
=
=
=
Interaction with physical environment at each level produces characteristic
functional systems
System: regularly interacting and interdependent components forming a unified
whole
System containing biotic and abiotic components constitutes biosystemsNPTEL

53. Physical ComponentsBiological components
Respond
Modify
Eco-system: The major unit of ecology
Env-collection of parts
Ecosystem has interacting parts that support a whole
Ecosystem, an example :
Forest / Lake / Pond /oceanNPTEL

54. Characteristic of any ecosystem is the resultant phenomenon of all the
interactions including biotic component’s ability to respond to the abiotic
conditions NPTEL

55. Levels of biological organization. The ecosystem level incorporates
the interactions among organisms and their abiotic environmentNPTEL

56. Geomicrobiological
space
Interactive space working for ecosystem function :
nutrients-to-be,
electron
donors/acceptorsand
stressors
humidity,conductivity,temperature,
pressure texture,matricconditions,
redox(O2)status
species compositionand
functionoftheendogenous
microbialcommunitiesNPTEL

57. Ecosystemcharacteristicsis
acaseofmultiscalecomplexity
notamenabletothetypicallyreductionist
approaches
(
e.g.onecompound,onestrain,andonepathway )
Layersofmultiscalecomplexityassociatedto
geomicrobiologicalprocesses
Abiotic geological, geochemical and
hydrological factorsNPTEL

58. NPTEL

59. Chemical
landscape
Catabolic
landscape
Humidity
Conductivity
Temperature
Pressure
Porocity
Redoxstate
Abiotic
landscapeNPTEL

60. Concept of ecology is introduced
Physical and biological components and their
interactions towards formatting a unified system
is highlighted
Interactive space driving ecosystem’s function is
discusseNPTEL

61. NPTEL

62. Environmental Biotechnology
Prof Pinaki Sar
DEPARTMENT OF BIOTECHNOLOGY, IIT KHARAGPUR
Module 02:
Lecture 04 : Ecosystem : Basic concepts of structure and functionNPTEL

63. Species, population and community concept
Ecosystem components
Biosphere and Gaia hypothesis
Ecosystem- D
efinition
Ecosystem- F
unction
Energy and nutrient flows, Food Chain and Trophic level NPTEL

64. Ecosystem components :
Species : Group of individuals capable of interbreeding and producing fertile
offspring
Population : Group of individuals belonging to the same species occurring
together in space and time
Community : All population occupying a given area
The community and the nonliving environment function together as an ecosystemNPTEL

65. Biosphere / Ecosphere :
Thelargestandmostnearlyselfsufficientbiologicalsystemwhichincludesall
theearth’slivingorganismsinteraction withthephysicalenvironmentas a
wholesoastomaintainasteadystatesystem
The biosphere is all closely tied together as a
collection of different parts
The biosphere (living organisms) interacts with:
•Hydrosphere (liquid water)
•Lithosphere (solid rocks)
•Cryosphere (frozen ice)
•Atmosphere (gas envelope)
https://earthhow.com/biosphere/NPTEL

66. Gaia hypothesis
Organisms within the biosphere not only adapt to the environment but
interact to modify and control chemical and physical conditions of the
biosphere
“
living organisms and their materialenvironmentaretightlycoupled. This coupled
systemisasuperorganism, abletoself regulate climateandchemistry“Lovelock
1922
Gaia principle, proposes that living organisms interact with their
inorganic surroundings on Earth to form a synergistic and self-
regulating, complex system that helps to maintain and
perpetuate the conditions for life on the planet.
The Greek word Gaia, or Gaea, meaning “Mother Earth,” is Lovelock’s
name for Earth, which isenvisionedas a “superorganism” engaged in
planetary biogeophysiology.
The goal of this superorganism is to produce ahomeostatic, or
balanced, Earth system.
https://www.britannica.com/science/climate -meteorology/The-Gaia-hypothesisNPTEL

67. Ecosystem :
Livingorganisms andtheir nonliving environmentareinseparably
interrelatedandinteracteduponeachother.Anyunitthatincludesallof
thecomponentssothattheflow ofenergyleadstoclearlydefined
trophicstructure,bioticdiversityand,materialcyclewithinthesystem
isanecologicalsystemorecosystem
FirstcoinedbyAGTansley,1935
Theconceptofecosystemprovidesaframeworkforunderstandingthe
flowsofenergyandelements betweenorganismsandtheir abiotic
surroundingsNPTEL

68. Components of Ecosystem
(Based on trophic structure)
Autotrophic component
Fixation of light energy
•Use of simple inorganic
s
ubstances
•Buildup of complex
s
ubstances
Heterotrophic component
Utilization
Rearrangement
Decomposition of complex
materialsNPTEL

69. Structural Components
A.Inorganic substances
B.Organic compounds
C.Climate
D.Producers
E.Macroconsumers
F.Microconsumers
Abiotic
BioticNPTEL

70. Functional Components:
A.Energy circuits
B.Food chains
C.Diversity pattern in time and space
D.Nutrient cycle
E.Development & evolution
F.ControlNPTEL

71. 1.Producers,t he autotrophic organisms(photosyntheticplants aswellas
photo- andchemosyntheticbacteria)constructing theirbodiesfromCO2
andotherinorganiccompounds.Theseorganismsformthebaseofthefood
chain.
Allorganismsaregroupedintoseveraldiscretecategories:
CC BY- SA 3.0NPTEL

72. 1.Herbivoresa reanimalsthatconsumeplants.
2.Primary c
are meat-eating animalsthatconsume
herbivores.
3.Secondaryc
arnivoresthatconsumeother animals (insome
ecosystemswecanfindalso tertiary carnivores feedingonthe
secondaryones).NPTEL

73. 5.DetrivoresandDecomposers.Themajorityof microorganisms(bacteria,
archaea,andfungi)aswellassmallanimals
Utilizethedeadorganicmatter(plantlitterandanimalsresidues)asasourceof
energyandbuildingblocksfortheirbodies.
Asaresultofdecomposition,theyrelease(mobilize)inorganicelementsfrom
dead bodies andmakethemavailableforplantstokeeptheprimary
productiongoing.
Osmotrophictypeofnutrition
Transportingsolublenutrientsthroughcellularmembrane.
Insolublesubstrates(e.g.,lignocelluloseandotherinsolubleorganicmatter,oil
and sulfur droplets,etc)shouldbeconvertedtosolubleformswith
extracellularenzymes,surfactantsorchelatingagentsNPTEL

74. Ecosystem Function
Producer
Primary consumer
Secondary consumer
Tertiary consumer
Solar energy
Autotrophs
HeterotrophsNPTEL

75. Ecosystem Function
Producer
Primary consumer
Secondary consumer
Tertiary consumer
Solar energy
Nutrients
DecomposerNPTEL

76. Energy flow in ecosystem : Energy transformation and energy loss
Solar (Light) energy
Potential (food) energy
Green Plants
All living organisms
(heterotrophs)
Heat loss
Heat loss
Heat lossNPTEL

77. Energy Flow & Nutrient /Mineral cycling
•Progressivediminutionofenergyinthetrophicchain
•Nutrientc
arenotdemising
•Nutrientsa
notlostlikeenergy
•Aftert
deaththe protoplasm isdecomposed –nutrientsare
releasedintoenvironmentsandreusedNPTEL

78. Food chain :
Transferoffoodenergyinplantsthroughaseriesofrepeatedeatingand
beingeatenisreferredtoasthefoodchain
Ateachtransfer80-90%ofpotentialenergyislostasheat
Theshorterthechainornearertheorganismtothebeggingofthechain,
thegreatertheavailableenergy
Foodchainsarenotisolatedsequences butareinterconnectedwithone
another.ThisinterlockingpatterniscalledfoodwebNPTEL

79. Trophic level :
Incomplexnaturalcommunityorganismswhosefoodisobtainedfromplants
bythesamenumberofstepsaresaidtobelongtothesametrophiclevel
Green Plants ---- IstTrophic level----Producer
Herbivours-----
2ndTrophic level----Primary
consumer
I Carnivours---
3rd Trophic level----Secondary consumer
II carnivours–
4th Trophic level----Tertiary consumerNPTEL

80. Ecosystem have two major food chains
•Grazing food chain
So
urce of energy is living plant biomass
•Detritousf

Source of energy is dead organic matterNPTEL

81. References:
1. Fundamentals of ecology, E. P. Odumand Gary.W. Barrett (5th Edition), 2004
2. Ecology (Global insights and investigation), P. Stiling , 2011 (1
st
edition
3. Elements of ecology, T. M. Smith, R. L. Smith (9th Edition), 2015NPTEL

82. Ecosystem and Biosphere are defined
Ecosystem components, function and flow of
energy and nutrients are discussed
Food chain and trophic levels are introducedNPTEL

83. NPTEL

84. ENVIRONMENTAL BIOTECHNOLOGY
PROF.PINAKI SAR
DEPARTMENT OF BIOTECHNOLOGY, IIT KHARAGPUR
Module 2
Lecture : 05 Microbial EcologyNPTEL

85. CONCEPTS COVERED
Principles of Microbial Ecology
Ecological concepts, Microbial habitatsNPTEL

86. Microorganisms do not leave alone in nature, they
interact with other organisms and with their
environment
They carryout all necessary activities that support life on earth NPTEL

87. Principles of Microbial EcologyNPTEL

88. What is microbial ecology?
The study of microbes in the environment and their interactions with each other
Microbialecologyexplores:
Diversity
Distribution
Abundance
Theirs

Effectt
haveonecosystems
Credit: Janet K Jansson and Kirsten S Hofmockel; doi:10.1016/j.mib.2018.01.013
ofmicroorganismsNPTEL

89. Major areas of study
(i)Microbialdiversity,
isolation,identificationandquantificationofmicroorganismsinvarioushabitats
(ii)Microbialactivity
Whatmicroorganismsaredoingintheirhabitats?
Howtheiractivitiescontributetotheobservedmicrobialdiversity&biogeochemical
cycling
(iii)Howtheseinformationcanbetranslatedtowards:
Betterunderstandingofecosystemprocesses
Achievemoresustainability,environmentalsafety,agriculture
productivity, health quality andoverallimprovedqualityofall life-
formsinsynergyNPTEL

90. Earth is a microbial planet
Microbes are:
1.First life form to evolve (~3.8 billion year)
2.Ubiquitous (from deep earth crust to extreme hot and cold; acidic to
al
kaline environment)
3.Most Abundant
4.Metabolically most versatile
5.Highest genomic diversity
6.Make up 2/3
rd
of entire domain of life
Share only one characteristic: Small sizeNPTEL

91. Collectively microorganisms show great metabolic diversity
and are the primary catalysts of nutrient cycles in nature NPTEL

92. Are microbes everywhere on Earth ?
Microbes have diversified their metabolism too
‘picky eaters’ to Pseudomonas (>100 substrates) to Oligotrophs
Photosynthetic to ‘rock eaters’
Images: Microbe, M Swanson et al, ASM press, 2016NPTEL

93. Microorganisms occupy and grow in all natural
environments wherein the limits of life are satisfied
Diverse microorganisms (their assemblage) present in an ecosystem
correspond to the microbial community NPTEL

94. Ecological concepts:
•Ane isthe sumtotalofalltheorganismsand abiotic
factorsinaparticularenvironment
•Itsady
complex(ofplants, animal and microbes)
andtheirabioticsurroundings
•Ane
containsdifferenthabitats
•Ah
isa partofanecosystem,typicallyreferstoazonein
whichparticularspeciesorpopulationsnaturallylivesandgrows.NPTEL

95. Image: Pinaki Sar Image: Pinaki Sar
Image: Pinaki Sar
Image: Pinaki SarNPTEL

96. Habitats
Microorganismsa representinanyhabitatswithplantsandanimals
Manym
areunsuitableforplantsandanimals
Mosth
onourplanetareexclusivelymicrobialhabitat
(deepsubsurface,extremehabitats)NPTEL

97. Types of microbial activities possible in an ecosystem
depend on:
Microbial species composition
Population sizes
Physiological states of the
m
icroorganisms in each habitat
How many species are there ?
Relative abundance of the different species
Physiological /metabolic activity of the speciesNPTEL

98. Rates of microbial activities :
Nutrients
Growth conditions
Nutrients
Activity & Growth
Growth conditions
Functional out come
Impact of microbial activities within an ecosystem depends on several factors
Underoptimalconditions,microbial activitiescanprofoundly impactanecosystem,
enhancingorreducingtheactivitiesofothermicroorganismsandthemacroorganisms
thatlivethereNPTEL

99. Credit: Janet K Jansson and Kirsten S Hofmockel;
doi:10.1016/j.mib.2018.01.013NPTEL

100. Mutualism: bo th the species get benefited
Commensalism: o
ne species get the benefit, while the other is neither helped or
harmed.
Parasitism: O
ne member in the relationship is harmed in the process.
Microbial associations
Many microbes establish relationship with other organisms
Symbioses is defined as a relationship between two or more organisms that
share a particular ecosystemNPTEL

101. REFERENCES
Brock Biology of Microorganisms, Madigan M et al., Person Press
Environmental Microbiology From genomes to biogeochemistry, Madsen E L, Blackwell PublishingNPTEL

102. CONCLUSION
Principles of microbial ecology is discussed
What is microbial ecology, what does it explores?, Major areas
c
onsidered, etc. are highlighted.
Microbial habitats, types of microbial activities and factors controlling
s
uch activities are discussed
Impact of microbial activities in an ecosystem and microbial
a
ssociations NPTEL

103. NPTEL