CENE 335

Environmental Biotechnology
Dr. Fethiye Ozis
(Dr. Oz)
Room: 222A
928 523 0311
fethiye.ozis@nau.edu
Office hours:
MW 12:30 1:30 pm

www.contractlaboratory.com/.
../microbiology.cfm

Course Objectives
Understand how:
Microorganisms influence and
function in bioengineered
processes
Microorganisms influence human
health, and how disease can be
controlled
Microorganisms can be used to
remove contaminants from the
water, soil, and air

Course Description:
Presents the engineered application of
biological systems for remediation of
contaminated environments (land, air, water),
and for sustainable development technologies
and processes.

Lecture Approach:
presents fundamental concepts
current research and development
problem-solving processes
in lectures and through reading assignments.
homework assignments
in-class assisted work sessions
reading assignments
final project
Quizzes and a final examination are used to assess
students' achievement of learning outcomes.

Activities and Grading

Text: Ian L. Pepper, Charlse P. Gerba and Terry J. Gentry,

Environmental Microbiology, Third Edition, Academic Pres
ISBN: 978-0-12-394626-3.

Outline for Introduction

Overview and objectives

What is biotechnology?
Influence on environmental quality: water, soil,
productivity, air
Water and wastewater engineering

Learning Objectives
Understand the history of Environmental
Microbiology
Understand how microbes influence the
Quality of the Environment
Define biotechnology

ENVIRONMENTAL
MICROBIOLOGY:
OVERVIEW AND
OBJECTIVES
What is a
microorganism?

Charles J. O'Kelly and

Tim Littlejohn.

Charles J. O'Kelly and

Tim Littlejohn.

10 microns

Photo by Derek Chitwood

Hepatitis B virus, 0.042

microns body diameter
www.uct.ac.za/depts/mmi/stannard/
hepb.html

0.1 microns

Adenovirus, ICTV
Australia National University

mcb.uct.ac.za/tutorial/unitree.gif

B. Microbiology begins:
Van Leeuwenhoek makes
microscopic observations
in 1677

Micscape http://www.microscopyuk.org.uk/intro/histo.html

Antonini van Leeuwenhoek

used a primitive microscope
to discover bacteria in 1675
W.F. Soare, 1935

Robert Hooke invented the

compound microscope,
confirmed Van
Leeuwenhoeks observations,
discovered plant cells,
observed fleas
www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/
history/hooke.html

1796 First scientific small pox

vaccination (Edward Jenner)

Robert A. Thom, Semmelweis: Defender of Motherhood, from A History of

Medicine in Pictures 1957-64

1850 Ignaz
Semmelweis
advocated
clinical
cleanliness to
stop the spread
of disease

John Snow, 1854,

demonstrated that
drinking water can
carry disease
Human and animal
wastes cause disease
Epidemiology can
show us how
Environmental
Microbiology studies
http://www.csiss.org/classics/content/8

Dispute over
spontaneous
generation,
settled by
Pasteur (1860),
recognition of
importance in
wine, beer,
vinegar making.
1862, supported
germ theory of
disease

Portrait of Louis Pasteur, Albert Edelfelt, 1885

Robert Koch: 1876 First proof of

germ theory of disease with B.
anthracis discovery
1881 Growth of bacteria on solid
media. Observation improved.

1882 Outlined Kochs postulates

Kochs Postulates
1. The specific organism should be present in all cases of a
specific disease but should not be found in healthy animals.
2. The specific microorganism should be isolated from the
diseased animal and grown in pure culture.
3. This microorganism, when inoculated into a healthy
animal, should cause the disease.
4. The microorganism should be reisolated in culture from the
experimental infection.
What exceptions are there?

Kochs Postulates

https://www.msu.edu/~kommkris/WebPages/KochUnit.htm

II. Influence on Environmental Quality

Microorganisms are ubiquitous
(where ever water is found, even
periodically) and powerful

National Oceanographic and

Atmospheric Administration

www.mtsbc.org/
montana_photo_
gallery.htm

A. Control of water quality

www.urbanrivers.org/web_images/diatoms.gif

Consumption and
regeneration of nutrients
Production of organic matter
Production and
consumption of particles
Ice nucleation in stratosphere (on bacterial
spores: may be accidental, or could represent
selective advantage for dispersal).
Microorganisms are the worst pollutantwhy?

B. Control of soil
quality
Nutrient regeneration
Decomposition of organic
matter
Humus production
www.afcee.brooks.af.mil/products/techtrans/La...

C. Control of Aquatic
productivity
Turbidity and phytoplankton bloom at
the mouth of the Yangste River in flood

Blooms of
coccolithophores in the
British Isles

D. Control of atmospheric composition

Carbon dioxide balance
Oxygen content
Sulfur compounds
Nitrogen fixation and denitrification
Fundamental to global biogeochemical cycles

III. Environmental Health

In 2006 : 1407 pathogenic microorganisms
nmhm.washingtondc.museum

538 bacteria
317 fungi
287 helminths
208 viruses
57 protozoa
Woolhouse, M.E.J., 2006.
Microbe 1(11):511-515

Currently ~2,000
pathogenic
microorganisms

D. Production of
environmental toxins:
"natural" is not safe

www.gesundes-reisen.de/.../red_tide.jpg

E. Decomposition of
environmental toxins, natural
and anthropogenic

IV. Water and

Wastewater Engineering
A. Control of disease
transmission, testing
of water supplies

B. Biological Oxygen
Demand

C. Eutrophication

D. Waste treatment by biodegradation

Trickling filters
Activated sludge
Oxidation ponds
Composting
Land treatment
Biofilters for air
Nitrificationdenitrification
Biofilm reactors
Septic tanks
Anaerobic digesters
Selenium sequestration
Control of acid
mine drainage

www.valt.helsinki.fi/projects/ enviro/cities/tal/tal_tech.ht

E. Generation of sulfides
and acids: sewer
corrosion and toxic
hazard, odors

Howstuffworks.com

F. Landfills

Methane generation
Gas-carried migration of toxics
Leachate generation
Odor generation
Pollutant generation or destruction
Southern California Environmental Report Card 2001. UCLA Institute
of the Environment

G. Taste and odor

in water supplies
H. Clogging of
pipes, oil
reservoirs, filters
(diesel cars)
I. Reduced efficiency in heat exchangers

J. Corrosion by bacteria: oil pipelines, metal

structures, concrete, stone, even glass
Microscopic view of
microbially influenced pitting
corrosion on stainless steel. W.
Dickinson & Z. Lewandowski,
erc.montana.edu

Corrosion cracks in antique stained glass

windows induced by fungal activity
(consumption of glass minerals and
release of metabolites)-Rudolf

Weissmann, Rainer Drewello-http://www.glassceramics.unierlangen.de/Staff/Research/Glass/micro.html