course-details-portlet

TBT4130

Environmental Biotechnology

Choose study year
Credits 7.5
Level Second degree level
Course start Spring 2025
Duration 1 semester
Language of instruction English and norwegian
Location Trondheim
Examination arrangement Aggregate score
Special deadlines for course registration
Spring: 2024-12-01

About

About the course

Course content

The course is an introduction to environmental biotechnology and focuses on the utilization of microbial processes in waste and water treatment, and bioremediation. Topics included are microbial energy metabolism, microbial growth kinetics and elementary chemostat theory, relevant microbiological processes, microbial ecology, approaches for studying microbial communities, and basic principles in bioremediation and biological water and waste treatment.

Learning outcome

By the end of the course, the student should be able to

  • Classify microbes according to energy source and carbon source and evaluate energy outcome of the energy metabolism according to electron acceptor and electron donor usage
  • Apply Monod's kinetics and basic chemostat theory to determine microbial growth rates, biomass yield, and substrate concentration and removal rate
  • Carry out an experiment with nitrification in a continuous lab-scale bioreactor for ammonia removal
  • Describe suitable methods for characterizing the activity, function, diversity, and composition of microbial communities
  • Define basic concepts in microbial ecology, such as carrying capacity, succession, r- and K-selection, ecological niches
  • Outline the principles of methods for quantification of organic carbon in wastewater and calculate the theoretical oxygen demand (ThOD) for simple organic compounds
  • Explain the microbial processes and growth requirements undelaying the activated sludge process, nitrification, denitrification, enhanced phosphorus removal, and anaerobic digestion
  • Evaluate alternative process schemes for combined biological nutrient removal (BNR)
  • Describe the most commonly applied disinfection methods, and the steps typically involved in drinking water treatment process train
  • Evaluate the potential for biodegradation of organic pollutants, taking microbial and physical/chemical environments, as well as the chemical structure of the compound itself, into consideration

Learning methods and activities

Lectures, laboratory project, calculatory exercises, and one all-day excursion. Compulsory attendance on exercises and laboratory project will take place on scheduled exercise sessions. The laboratory project takes place over a 5-6 weeks period, and requires more attendance, but at flexible times.

Compulsory assignments

  • Exercises

Further on evaluation

The final grade is based on written exam (80%) and report (20%). If there is a re-sit examination, the examination form may change from written to oral. When re-taking to improve the grade, the individual partial assessment can be re-taken.

Specific conditions

Course materials

Course material is specified at the beginning of the course.

Credit reductions

Course code Reduction From
SIK4017 7.5 sp
MB102314 3 sp Autumn 2019
TBT4131 7.5 sp Autumn 2024
This course has academic overlap with the courses in the table above. If you take overlapping courses, you will receive a credit reduction in the course where you have the lowest grade. If the grades are the same, the reduction will be applied to the course completed most recently.

Subject areas

  • Technological subjects

Contact information

Course coordinator

Lecturers

Department with academic responsibility

Department of Biotechnology and Food Science