AB-327
Arctic Microbiology (10 ECTS)

Ph.D. course, also suitable for M.Sc.

Application deadline: 15. February 2012

Objective:
The course will give an understanding of the role of micro-organisms in nutrient cycling in Polar Regions. In the practical part, students will measure important processes in the carbon and nitrogen cycles and use up-to-date molecular biological techniques for detection of specific bacteria in Arctic soils.

Content:
The course will give an introduction to microbial ecology under extreme conditions at the limits of habitability. The main part of the course will deal with the role of micro-organisms in transformation of the most important nutrients in the Arctic, both in the terrestrial and marine environments. Sites close to Longyearbyen on Svalbard will be used to illustrate processes in Arctic terrestrial ecosystems. Production and utilisation of methane and nitrogen cycling, including nitrogen fixation, will be measured in the field and in the laboratory. DNA probes will be used to detect specific soil micro organisms. The Barents Sea will be used as an example for processes in a marine environment.

In Arctic seas, large amounts of organic matter accumulate due to slow microbial degradation. Therefore, during the course, students will measure total bacterial counts, biomass, microbial activity, and so on, in Arctic marine waters.

	Period:	29. May - 25. June 2012
	Teaching:	30 hrs lectures/seminars, 10 days in the field and laboratory (obligatory).
	Evaluation:	Oral exam (graded).
	Course responsible:	David Pearce
	UNIS contact person:	Pernille Bronken Eidesen